West Indies Championships…

By Sean Devers in Trinidad
In a game with not much promotion, the Guyana Harpy Eagles took on Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the third round of the West Indies Championships yesterday at the Brian Lara Cricket in South Trinidad and a small but vocal gathering saw the host invite Guyana to bat on a track with tinge of green and outfield in steaming hot conditions.

By the end of the opening day, Guyana were dismissed for 324 as 35-year-old Leon Johnson returned to form with a confident 68 from 99 balls with 11 fours.

The Guyana captain who made his First-Class debut in 2014 as a 16-year-old School Boy, shared in a 97-run stand with Kemol Savory who made 44 from 109 balls with four fours after they had joined forces with Guyana 33-3.

When Johnson was lbw to off-spinner Brian Charles, Guyana were 140-5 and Trinis were in the ascendency,
However, Kevin Sinclair, who made 69 from 96 balls with seven boundaries, shared in a 79-run stand with Anthony Bramble whose 52 lasted 57 balls and included seven fours and six, and 88 with Keemo Paul who made 46 from 39 balls with six fours and a six.

But from 307-7 the visitors lost last three wickets for 17 runs as Imran Khan had 4-84, Brian Charles 3-85 and pacer Uthman Muhammad 2-31 did the damage with the ball for Red Force who were 7-0 after one over at close yesterday.

Guyana, who left out Anthony Adams and Shamar Joseph, started badly when Tevin Imlach fell to Muhammad at 7-1 while debutant Kevlon Anderson got going with four off Manick before Skipper Daren Bravo produced an in-ducker to the right handed Anderson (6) to trap him LBW at 14-2.

Savory joined Matthew Nandu and the pair carried the score to 33 in very windy conditions before Nandu tried to tuck Charles off his legs and was brilliantly caught by Tion Webster at short-leg. Nandu’s 10 lasted 54 balls.

Johnson arrived at the crease with his team again in early trouble and drove Muhammad just over the man at cover before playing a glorious straight drive for four before cutting Charles for four.

Savory pushed the ball into the gaps and rotated the strike and along with Johnson, who has two fifties in nine Tests, brought up the 50 in 25 overs as the batters worked hard for their runs in bowler-friendly conditions.

The pair saw their team to 60-3 by lunch with Savory on 20 and Johnson on 17.

After the interval, Johnson hit Manick for a couple of sweetly timed boundaries to move into the 20s while Savory played the supporting role.

Johnson flicked Charles to fine leg for four before pulling Manick for a couple of boundaries before an elegant cut off Charles brought up his 40th fifty from 71 balls, 113 minutes with 10 fours.

Johnson celebrated with a delightful boundary off Khan but when Savory was six short of his fifty and the partnership three short of a 100, Savory was removed by Khan at 130-4 to the delight of the small partisan gathering.

Bramble joined the well-set Johnson, who was looking better and better as his innings progressed but when well set for what would have been his seventh First-Class hundred and first since his unbeaten 189 against the Windwards in Grenada in February 2020, he was lbw to Charles.

Bramble played positive cricket and reached his 13th fifty from 48 balls with seven fours a six while Sinclair, who is fast developing into a genuine all-rounder, dealt in boundaries as the pair added 75 for sixth wicket before Bramble was LBW to Muhammad for 52 at 215-6.

Sinclair soon reached his third half-century at this level and along with Paul who also went after the bowlers. Sinclair was removed by Charles at 307-7. Khan then had Paul, Veerasammy Permaul (5) and Nial Smith (6), leaving Ronsford Beaton on six.

Today is the second day and play will start at 10:00hrs

scoreboard
Guy 1st inns
Tevin Imlach c Webster b Muhammad 4
Matthew Nandu c Webster b Charles 10
Kevlon Anderson lbw b Bravo 6
Kemol Savory c Charles b Khan 44
Leon Johnson lbw b Charles 62
Anthony Bramble lbw Muhammad 52
Kevin Sinclair c Goolie b Charles 69
Kemo Paul c Muhammad b Khan 46
Veerasammy Permaul lbw b Khan 5
Ronsford Beaton not out 6
Nail Smith lbw b Khan 6
Extras 10
Total 324 in 86.3 overs
Fow: 7,14,33, 130, 140, 219, 307, 311, 316, 324

Bowling
Manick 7-1-24-0, Muhammad 13-4-31-2,
Bravo 7-1-32-1, Webster 11-2-51-0,
Charles 26-5-85-3, Khan 20.3-1-86-4,
Goolie 2-1-8-0
T&T 1st inns
Jeremy Solozano not out 5
Keggan Simmons not out 0
Extras 2 (nb-2)
Total 7-0 in 1 over)
Bowling
Paul 1-0-7-0