Chattergoon 92*, Hooper 52* Paces Guyana

Fri, Mar 15, '02

A fine unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 87 in 119 minutes between opener Sewnarine Chattergoon (92 not out) and captain Carl Hooper (52 not out) saved Guyana some blushes on the opening day of their semifinal clash against the Leeward Islands at Albion on Friday.

At the end of an absorbing day?s play, Guyana, who are seeking to advance to their second consecutive Busta International Shield final, were 230 for four.

Chattergoon and Hooper came together with Guyana in some spot of bother after losing the prize scalp of Test Indies middle-order batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan (0), run-out in a terrible mix-up with Chattergoon.

The left-right combination gradually regained the initiative for Guyana with sensible running between the wickets, while Hooper, who started very apprehensively, grew in stature with a flurry of sweetly-timed extra cover drives and a massive six over long-on off part-time off-spinner Alex Adams.

By the close, the West Indies captain was looking in ominous mood, entering today?s second day. He has so far struck six fours and a six off exactly 100 balls in 119 minutes.

Chattergoon, a graduate of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Shell Cricket Academy, has so far batted 372 minutes, hitting nine fours and a five off 289 balls.

In stark contrast to last Friday when Guyana rocketed along with Lennox Cush (154) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (140) smashing centuries, the Guyanese batsmen were made to work hard for runs with Leeward Islands employing defensive tactics throughout the day on a slow pitch.

After Guyana won the toss and batted, the left-handed opening pair of Azeemul Haniff and Chattergoon gave Guyana a fair start of 66 before Haniff (23) played a loose drive off the bustling Wilden Cornwall and was comfortably caught at first slip by Runako Morton. His 23 included four fours in 113 minutes off 81 balls.

The Leewards however had a chance to separate the openers with the score on 16 but Alex Adams failed to accept a straightforward catch offered by Chattergoon with the opener on eight, comprising of two fours through square-leg off fast bowler Adam Sanford in his first over.

By lunch, the obdurate Chattergoon had progressed to 33 with new batsman Lennox Cush still to score. Cornwall, who operated from the northern end either side of lunch, in a spell of 11-1-26-1, caused some trouble for the Guyanese pair but it was the returning Kerry Jeremy, who made the breakthrough with the score on 106.

Cush, with two consecutive centuries behind his back, including a swashbuckling 154 at the same venue, never got going although hoisting off-spinner Omari Banks over long off for six. In trying to square-cut Jeremy,

Cush only succeeded in lifting a catch to Cornwall at wide mid-off, the fielder taking the catch running back.

Guyana suffered another setback when the in-form Chanderpaul (15) chased a wide delivery outside the off-stump off fast bowler Adam Sanford, edging it to Alex Adams at second slip to leave the host team at 140 for three.

Chattergoon reached his fourth first class half-century in 167 minutes off 134 balls with six fours and a five and by tea had progressed to 67 with Sarwan on yet to score.

Calamity struck 11 minutes after the interval when Sarwan played a delivery from Adams to square-leg and in a ?start-stop, start-stop? with Chattergoon, eventually failed to make his ground at the non-striker?s end by a few inches.

Sarwan?s dismissal set the stage for the brightest cricket of the day with Chattergoon and Hooper taking centre stage and raising the prospects of a big Guyana total today.

There was one wicket each for Jeremy, Cornwall and Sanford for 45, 49 and 58 runs respectively.

Guyana played the same eleven from last week while the Leeward Islands made two changes, Cornwall and Banks replacing Lenny Lake and Goldwyn Prince.

GUYANA first innings


A. Haniff c Morton b Cornwall 23

S. Chattergoon not out 92

L. Cush c Cornwall b Sanford 17

C. Chanderpaul c Adams b Jeremy 15

R. Sarwan run-out 0

C. Hooper not out 52

Extras: (b-4, lb-1, nb-24, w-2) 31

Total: (for four wickets, 90 overs) 230

Fall of wickets: 66, 106, 140, 143.

Bowling: Jeremy 21-4-45-1 (nb-5, w-1); Sanford 20-4-58-1 (nb-3); Banks 22-3-51-0 (nb-2, w-1); Cornwall 16-1-49-1 (nb-14); Adams 9-4-19-0; Willett 2-0-3-0.

* SOURCE: Guyana Chronicle.