February 22, 2024
All matches in the 4 day West Indies Championship are being streamed live on the Windies Cricket channel on YouTube.
Round 3 of this season’s tournament is currently underway and the match between the Leeward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago was being played at Warner Park in St Kitts, as had the Leewards’ previous two matches.
The Leewards lost their first match of the competition to the West Indies Academy by 5 wickets, despite 8 wickets in the match for opening bowler Jeremiah Louis ( who also made 45 runs ) and 55 for Mikyle Louis and 70 for Jamal Hamilton.
In round 2 they hammered Guyana by 273 runs as St Kitt’s Mikyle Louis scored a century in each innings in only his second First Class match, and looked to be a serious future talent. Hamilton added another half century to add to his collection as did captain Rakeem Cornwall, who with 7 wickets in the match spun the Leewards to victory, together with left arm spinner Daniel Doram, who claimed 6 wickets.
Trinidad started with a rain affected draw against Guyana, notable only for Jason Mohammad’s 100 not out, but followed that with a 6 wicket win over the West Indies Academy, with Jyd Goolie’s 113 earning him the man of the match award.
Games Seen In The Leeward Islands
I have had the opportunity to have watched four games of cricket in the Leeward Islands.
In 2008 Mrs Fatbear and I attended the second day of the West Indies vs Australia Test match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, for which tickets cost 50 ECD. Australia started the day at 259 for 3 and Simon Katich, 113 overnight, was quickly dismissed without adding to his score. Michael Clarke made a century and Brett Lee smashed an unbeaten 63 with Mitchell Johnson, who was 29 not out, as Australia accelerated to 479 for 9 dec. Jerome Taylor took 3 wickets for the Windies
In their reply, Devon Smith made 16 before dismissed by Johnson but Xavier Marshall and Ramnaresh Sarwan were batting serenely against Stuart MacGill and Micheal Clarke after seeing off Lee and Johnson when we left before stumps.
Arriving at Antigua the day before, as I was getting ready to leave the aircraft a passenger started talking to me, thinking I was England coach Duncan Fletcher ! When we came to check-out of our hotel after our short stay on Antigua, Lance Gibbs was checking out ahead of us.
The year before we attended day one of Antigua vs Nevis in the Leewards 3 day competition, also at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. This was shortly after the 2007 Cricket World Cup had been held in the West Indies.
No-one else was in the stadium at the 10am start and we were spotted by the Englishman who had been head of security for the ground during the World Cup, and he gave us a guided tour of the insides of stadium. The Chinese built stadium, built for the World Cup, was already showing signs of falling apart even then !
We have seen a local league game at Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla, and were fortunate to see current and future West Indian Internationals Omari Banks & Jamal Hamilton, future Derbyshire county player Chesney Hughes, and a few future Leeward Islands players such as Montcin Hodge, Kelbert Walters and Rondal Lake playing. The beers at the ground were being sold by the mother of former Hampshire player Cardigan Connor for 1 ECD !
The final match we’ve seen in the Leeward Islands was day one of a match between St Maarten vs US Virgin Islands in the 3 day Leewards competition at the Carib Lumber Park in Philipsburg.
I spent a few minutes chatting on the boundary to US VI’s fast bowler Dane Weston, who had played for Derbyshire 2nd XI.
John Eugene scored a classy hundred for St Maarten, and he would later go on to score another century for St Maarten in the Stanford 20/20. Opening the batting for St Maarten was Moreland Le Blanc, a 16 year old who many at the time were predicting would go onto represent the Netherlands. He made an attractive 30 or 40 that day, but never went on to fulfil his potential. St Maarten also had Lionel Ritchie in their side, but unfortunately not the American singer….
Team News
The notable names in the T&T side for this match included current West Indies keeper Joshua da Silva ( 26 tests and 2 ODIs ), who with his Portuguese background was the first ”white” player to play for the West Indies since Brendon Nash in 2011, and Geoff Greenidge before that in 1973. He was the T&T captain for this match.
All-rounder Jason Mohammad had played 36 ODIs and 9 T20s for the West Indies, fast bowler Jason Seales had played 10 tests and 10 ODIs whilst fellow quick Anderson Philip had played 2 tests and 5 ODIs. Left arm spinner Khary Pierre had played 3 ODIs and 10 T20s.
The Leeward Islands side was captained by the colossal Antiguan Rakheem Cornwall ( 35 wickets in 10 tests ). Anguillan keeper Jahmal Hamilton had played one test and one ODI, whilst Keacy Carty had become the first person born in St Maarten to play for the West Indies, and had played in 22 ODIs.
Nevis born opening bat Kieran Powell had played 44 tests, and despite three centuries, only averaged 26. Left arm spinner Daniel Doram, born in St Maarten, has been called up for the Netherlands’ forthcoming T20 matches against Nepal and Namibia.
Day 1 Summary
The Leewards won the toss and invited their visitors to bat. Good swing bowling from Jeremiah Louis reduced T&T to 9 for 2, and after trying to dig in and the run-rate barely rising over 2 an over, a succession of rash shots against tight bowling left them 137 all out despite some straight forward catches being dropped. Goolie top scored with 30 and Louis and left-arm medium pacer Colin Archibald finished with three wickets each. Cornwall and Doram both took two wickets.
Despite suggestions that the wicket might be difficult, Leewards’ openers Powell and Mikyle Louis rattled along at 5 runs an over until Mikyle Louis, continuing to build his favourable his reputation, was triggered by the umpire to be given caught behind down the leg-side off off-spinner Bryan Charles for 32 after the ball hit his thigh pad. It was a truly shocking decision but there is no DRS in the West Indies championship.
The Leewards finished the day on 105 for 1 with Powell 54 not out.
Day 2 Morning Session
Play started promptly at the 10.00am scheduled time on a sunny morning with the temperature around 27 degrees. Anderson Phillip opened the bowling and Powell steered the first ball to deep point for a single but next ball Carty shouldered arms to a ball that nipped back a little and saw his off-stump cartwheeling out of the ground. 106 for 2 and Carty was out for 11.
Terrance Warde came in at number four and got off the mark from his second ball with a push wide of mid-on.
Off-spinner Bryan Charles opened at the other end with a slip, leg slip, square leg and a short mid-on. His third ball was down the leg side and Warde attempted a big slog. The ball looped up for leg slip to catch and there was a huge appeal for a catch, but the ball had come of Warde’s pad and this time the umpire ruled not out.
Charles against strayed wide down the leg side with his fifth ball and this time Warde successfully made contact and the ball sped down to the long leg boundary for four. Warde kept the strike with a push off his leg, and then took two more past square leg from Phillip’s first delivery of the next over. Anderson’s line was good until the fifth ball of the over, which was short and wide and Warde fiercely cut past point for four more. It was 118 for 2 at the end of the over and Warde had moved on to 12 runs from 13 balls.
To the left-handed Powell, Charles had just a slip and a short leg, and Powell was playing watchfully. He pushed forward to the fifth ball of the over which found the edge and flew past the right hand of Mohan at slip for a fortunate boundary.
Anderson decided to test the middle of the pitch, sending two short balls down the leg side, but the final ball forced Warde onto his toes to defend off his chest. A maiden for Phillip.
Powell was looking to use his feet to Charles and pushed the second ball of the over down the ground for an easy single, and next ball Warde, having successfully removed two of the close catchers, swept to long leg for a single. There didn’t appear to be much turn in the wicket for Charles. At the end of the 35th over it was 125 for 2 with Powell on 61 and Warde 13.
Anderson continued for his 4th over of the morning with Powell continuing to bat sensibly, pushing the fourth ball off his leg for another single, then the next ball to Warde was short and over his head, and perhaps a little harshly judged to be a wide. Anderson was putting a lot of effort into his spell but there didn’t appear to be a great deal of pace in the wicket for him.
At the other end Powell serenely came down the wicket to drive Charles all along the ground to mid-on to add another single to his tally and Warde whipped a short ball of his legs for another run. Charles didn’t now seem to be much of a threat and the Leewards’ batsmen were content to milk the singles off him.
Phillips stint was over and Jayden Seales replaced him with a wide first slip and another catcher at 4th slip. Powell eased another single past point but then there was loud appeal for LBW against Warde. However, it was leg-side and the ball hurried down to the fine leg boundary for 4 leg byes.
Out of the blue Powell played a casual drive at Charles and Mohan took a regulation chest-high catch at slip. Powell had to go for 65 and it was now 135 for 3.
Jahmar Hamilton was the new batsman and missed out on a leg side long hop first up. He then attempted an ambitious drive to his third ball, missed and was bowled for a duck. After not looking a danger at all, Charles had taken two wickets in 4 balls for no runs and now had 3 for 35 from 12 overs. The score moved to 135 for 4
17 year old Jewel Andrew came in at number 6 to join Warde. Seales then also had a wide given against him when Andrew ducked under a bouncer.
At the other end Warde streakily edged Charles for three past slip, then Andrew got off the mark with a similar shot to the one Hamilton got out to, but this time it sailed over mid-wicket for 6. Leewards now had a first innings lead and at the drinks break the score was 146 for 4 off 40.4 overs
Seales again kept it tight with just one coming from his eighth over of the innings and he had conceded just three runs in three overs this morning but he was taken off and replaced by Terrance Hinds, who had a slingy action but nowhere near the pace of Seales and Phillip. Hinds started with three balls outside the off-stump, but the fourth cut-back and Warde padding up was struck on the pad. There was another loud appeal but the ball wasn’t doing enough to hit the off-stump and not out was the decision. Hinds completed a maiden.
At the other end left arm orthodox spinner Khary Pierre replaced Charles and the second ball was short and wide and Andrew was quickly onto it to hammer past point for 4 to bring up the 150 for the Leewards.
Hinds was now trying to bowl a fuller length and with the ball appearing to skid on, Warde and Andrew were being careful, with just one run coming from Hinds first two overs of the morning and with Pierre sending down a maiden over the runs were drying up.
Hinds miserly spell continued with just a single coming from his 7th over of the innings, and just two from three overs this morning. However, Andrew clearly had had enough of blocking and launched Pierre over his head and over the sightscreens for his second six although he cautiously saw out the rest of the left arm spinner’s over.
Hinds conceded a run when an unnecessary shy at the stumps hit them and rebounded away, allowing Warde to scamper a single. At the end of the 50th over it was 162 for 4
Pierre again went for just a single but Hinds’ spell was over, as T&T continued to use their fast bowlers in short spells, and Vikash Mohan came on to bowl some off-spin. Andrew disdainfully lofted him to the extra cover boundary and then pushed a single. However, Warde played down the wrong line and edged to slip where Pierre took a good low catch. After a run a ball start, Warde was out for 22 off 64 balls. The score was now 168 for 5 and the lead was 31 runs.
Jeremiah Louis was the new batsman but Andrew was on strike to Pierre, and pushed the third ball to deep square for another single and from the final ball Louis was beaten all ends up but the ball somehow missed the off-stump.
Mohan then gave Andrew some width and again the youngster was immediately onto it to hammer through the covers for four and he repeated the dose two ball later. With three singles, 11 came from the over.
T&T continued to rotate their bowlers and Charles came back to replace Pierre, bowling around the wicket with two close catchers. The fearless Andrew swept the off-spinner off his stumps for four more and then looked less certain as the next ball squirmed behind square for a single. The score had now accelerated to 185 for 5.
Pierre changed ends to replace the expensive Mohan, and yielded only two singles. Charles was now back bowling over the wicket as two more were added to the total.
With around 5 minutes to go before lunch, Andrew blocked out Pierre before pinching a single off the final ball to retain the strike for what he thought would be the last over of the session. However, Charles quickly got through the over, despite a time wasting mid-wicket conference between the batsman, and with wicketkeeper de Silva sprinting to get into position down the other end, there was time for another over from Pierre, who now had a short extra cover in addition to the slip and square leg. A poor ball down the leg side gave da Silva no chance and 4 byes were added to the total.
At the end of the morning session, 31 overs had been bowled, 90 runs scored and 4 wickets had fallen as the Leeward Islands reached 195 for 5, a lead of 58 runs.
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