Leewards seal spot

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Decent returns from leg-spinner Anthony Martin and wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton propelled the Leeward Islands to a 14-run win, under the Duckworth/Lewis scoring method, over Guyana at Sabina Park yesterday, and into the semi-finals of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional 50-over tournament.

The Leewards, who will now face neighbours the Windward Islands in Semi-final One at Sabina Park tomorrow, first made 179 off 39.4 overs, after the game was reduced to 40 overs because of a change of pitch, earlier in the day.

Twenty-year-old Hamilton, whose diminutive stature belies his ability to hit the ball long distances, top-scored with 37 off 27 balls, including four sixes and a four, while opener Montcin Hodge chipped in with 31 off 61 balls.

In reply, Guyana who, like the Leewards, needed to win to stay alive, were restricted to 93-5 off 23 overs, when late evening showers interrupted their innings for a second and final time.

The 27-year-old Martin, who was getting the ball to turn on what had become a dusty Sabina Park strip, claimed three wickets for five off six overs, including three maidens, topped the Leewards bowling. Pacer Gavin Tonge, who took two for 20 off four overs, provided good support.

Earlier in the day, the start of the match was delayed for approximately two hours due to a damp pitch - owing to seepage - and reduced to 40 overs.

Concern expressed

However, when the match started and with the Leewards on zero without loss after 0.3 over, Guyanese fast bowler Esuan Crandon expressed concern about an area where his left foot was landing, and the umpires called off the match after they, in consultation with the match referee, deemed it unsatisfactory and dangerous for play.

Both captains, however, agreed to play on an adjacent pitch which was simultaneously prepared, and in the end saved the groundstaff at Sabina Park another embarrassment, after a game between the West Indies and England was called off due to similar circumstances in the late 1990s.

The win moved the Leewards to six points, which was enough to cop second place in the group behind winners Barbados, who played to a no-result with the WICB/Sagicor High Performance Centre at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, to finish with 10 points.

Rains cut short the HPC's innings at 154 for five off 40 overs, after they were sent in by Barbados.

Set 148 to win off 25 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis method, Barbados were struggling on 27 for four after 11.3 overs, when rain returned to end the match.

Guyana and the HPC finished with four points each.

Barbados will play Jamaica, also at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, in the tournament's other semi-final on Friday.

"Despite all that happened this morning, we tried to keep our cool and deal with the situation for what it is," said Leewards captain Wilden Cornwall. "We tried to put a total on the board and come out and defend it in a good way."

Guyana captain Ramnaresh Sarwan said his team tried but in the end it was not good enough.

"Our bowlers did a fairly good job to restrict them. However, again our batsmen failed and for that we are now out of the tournament," said Sarwan.