Williams Cracks 176* as Leewards Fire Back

Leeward Islands opener and captain Stuart Williams fashioned a boundary-studded unbeaten 176, while Runako Morton failed by four runs to record his third century in this year?s Busta Cup/Shield tournament as the Leewards ended the penultimate day of their semifinal 163 runs adrift of Guyana?s imposing first innings score of 491 with six wickets intact.

The two, who featured in a second-wicket partnership of 201 in just 189 minutes after the Leewards had lost an early wicket, have set the stage for an enthralling final day?s play today.

When stumps were drawn Sunday, 12 minutes before the rescheduled 17:40 hrs close, the Leewards, who started their reply at the beginning of the day, after Guyana were dismissed on the stroke of close of play on Saturday, were 329 for four with the other not-out batsman being the left-handed Ian Tittle on six.

Celebrating his recall to the 22-man West Indies training squad, after being in the wilderness since the 1998/1999 series against South Africa, the 32-year-old Williams followed the footstep of his opposing number, Carl Hooper, who slammed a sparkling 222 on Saturday, delighting the best turnout of spectators for the three days with a series of breathtaking strokes to all parts of the parched Albion outfield. He was expecially strong through the offside, executing several spanking square drives.

The ebullient Williams, who entered the match with 722 runs and with two centuries to his name, lost his opening partner in the second over of the day, the tall Alex Adams (0) edging fast medium bowler Kevin Darlington to wicketkeeper Azib Ali Hanif, with just one run on the board.

Adams had survived a torrid first over to fast bowler Reon King, getting the better of two confident lbw decisions.

Guyana?s celebration was however shortlived as Williams and the confident Morton, who started slowly, decided to launch a counterattack on the Guyana bowlers.

Williams, the more aggressive at the start of the partnership, signalled his intentions of what was to come with a flowing cover drive off King and followed that up with two rasping square cuts, while Morton, who recently returned from Sharjah with the West Indies team, opened his account with a square cut off the same bowler.

The introduction of leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, the main destructor in the seventh round match between the two teams, did little to stop the flow of runs.

In one over from the tall leg-spinner, Morton hit him one bounce over mid-wicket and followed up with three cover drives for four.

Williams was first to 50 in 107 minutes off 60 balls with nine fours while Morton followed shortly after with 10 fours in 99 minutes off 87 balls.

At lunch, the Leewards were 110 for one with Morton, who overtook his captain, on 56 and Williams unbeaten on 51.

There was no letting up after the interval and the two right-handers went on a rampage while Hooper persisted with Nagamootoo from the southern end and rung the changes from the north.

The wristy Williams square-drove left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell and swept him for boundaries as the visitors realised 150 in 151 minutes.

Morton also joined the fray by lifting Nagamootoo over long on for a massive six and shortly after hit Hooper straight back over his head for another six. He raced into the nineties with another lofted drive over mid-on as the Leewards added 80 runs in the first hour after lunch.

Williams joined his partner on 93 after punching Hooper through the covers. That shot also brought up his team?s 200 in 196 minutes and the 200-partnership in 188 minutes.

Looking well set to complete his third century this year, Morton lost his off-stump, playing back to a delivery that turned sharply from Nagamootoo. His knock of 96 included 14 fours and two sixes in 189 minutes off 198 balls while the 201-run partnership with Williams was also realised in 198 minutes off 342 balls.

Williams reached his third century of tournament with another of his trademark square cut for four off McGarrell. It was his 16th boundary while he faced 160 balls in 214 minutes.

The Leewards skipper found another able partner in Sylvester Joseph as they continued to take the attack to the Guyana bowlers and by tea, Williams was unbeaten on 115 and Joseph 21. It meant that 132 runs had come in the session despite some strange defensive tactics from Hooper.

A 40-minute delay, caused by a sharp, heavy shower during the tea break, saw play resuming at 15:4o hrs but this did little to stop Williams from advancing his team?s cause. He lost Joseph at 251 for three after the former West Indies one-day player edged fast bowler King to wicketkeeper Hanif. His 25 included three fours and a six off McGarrell while the 49-run third-wicket partnership came in 50 minutes.

Williams then dominated a 54-run fourth-wicket partnership with Tonito Willett (15) that ended when the latter became wicketkeeper Hanif?s third victim as he was deceived by a arm ball from McGarrell.

The durable Williams brought up his 150 in 230 minutes off 289 balls with 26 fours and by the close stood between Guyana and a place in the 2002 Busta International Shield final.

His unbeaten knock, which has taken his tally of runs in this year?s tournament to a staggering 898, has so far spanned 348 minutes off 270 balls and laced with 29 beautifully struck fours.

SOURCE: Guyana Chronicle.