CAVE HILL, Barbados (CMC) – Ryan Austin undermined Leeward Islands’ batting for the second time in as many days, bowling Combined Campuses & Colleges to an innings and 15-run victory inside two days in the Regional 4-Day Tournament yesterday. The lanky off-spinner grabbed five wickets for 52 runs from 10.5 overs, as Leewards, trailing by 128 on first innings, were dismissed for 113 in their second innings about 40 minutes after the lunch interval at the Three Ws Oval.
Austin, the leading bowler in the R4T two of the last three years, finished with match figures of 10 for 71, making him a shoo-in for the Man-of-the-Match award.
“It looked easy, but this was due to the lack of application from the Leewards batsmen,” said Austin. “I am very happy that the hard work that I have put in has paid off.”
He formalised the result, when he had Justin Athanaze, the Leewards’ top scorer with 35, stumped, after the batsman charged down the pitch, swung and missed.
Leewards suffered an early setback, when Kevin McClean bowled left-handed opener Shane Jeffers for eight in the fifth over of their second innings.
Things looked to have restored to normal, when Orlando Peters joined West Indies opener Kieran Powell, and they added 25 for the second wicket, spending just over an hour together.
But Austin made the breakthrough, when he trapped Powell lbw for 22 on the back-foot, and the floodgates opened, as Leewards slumped to 66 for seven at lunch.
Austin followed up in his next over, when he had Peters caught at short-leg for seven before Holder had Leewards captain Gavin Williams caught at third slip for seven, leaving the visitors 51 for four.
Austin trapped Tonito Willett lbw offering a stroke in the following over for two and had Steve Liburd caught at mid-wicket for three, essaying a pull.
Holder collected the last scalp before the interval, when he trapped Jahmar Hamilton lbw for 11 playing defensively forward.
After the interval, Tonge came to the crease and put on 39 – in the best stand of the innings – with Athanaze, playing freely before Nkrumah Bonner, bowling his uncomplicated leg-spin, had him lbw for 12 playing on the back-foot, the same method of dismissal for Nelson Bolan off the next delivery for a duck.
Bonner ended with two for three from two overs and Holder finished with two for 27 from eight overs.
Earlier, CCC, beginning the day on 158 for nine, were bowled out for 167 off 63 overs about 10 minutes after the rescheduled start.
All-rounder Jason Holder added eight and was run-out for 42, when he failed to beat Liburd’s direct hit from mid-wicket, leaving Jason Dawes not out on six.
West Indies leg-spinner Anthony Martin was the most successful Leewards bowler with four for 32 off 20 overs and Gavin Tonge took two for 31 off 13 overs.