Busta Finals: What an Ugly Second Day
A plodding half-century from opener Sewnarine Chattergoon pushed
Guyana to within 128 runs of first innings points in the Busta
Shield finals at Sabina Park but the all-round shoddy standard of
play left West Indies cricket fans shaking their heads in disgust.
At the close of an ugly second day's play, Guyana survived some
tense moments to reach 149 for four but Jamaica has only themselves
to blame for surrendering a slight advantage in a match where first
innings points could determine the outright Shield winner.
Chattergoon, a little left-hander from Berbice, laboured over
254 balls for his 66, a knock which included five boundaries. But,
his innings will best be remembered for the myriad of chances he
gave to the butter-fingered Jamaicans.
In all, Chattergoon was dropped four times -- wicketkeeper Keith
Hibbert floored two while captain Robert Samuels would not have a
pleasant time looking in the mirror, dropping two fairly easy
chances.
At the close, West Indies middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan was
unbeaten on 24 from 81 balls with Carl Hooper as the other
recognised batsmen left. Lots will depend on the batting exploits
of Neil McGarrell and Mahendra Nagamootoo on day three. Having
given away 24 byes in 56 extras, Azib Ally-Hanniff (4 n.o) also has
a lot to make up for.
Ryan Cunningham, who accounted for Chattergoon and number three bat
Lennox Cush (13), finished with two for 24 from 16 probing openers
while Gareth Breese (2-32 from 26 overs) got the wickets of Azeemul
Hanniff (22) and Shiv Chanderpaul (10).
Earlier, Nagamootoo added his name to the record books, equalling
Rajendra Dhanraj's 1996 record of 48 wickets in a season as Jamaica
succumbed for 277 from 112.1 overs, with (what else?) a top score
of 56 from extras.
Resuming on 226 for six, the morning session belonged to discarded
West Indies pacer Reon King who struck early and often. Working up
a lively pace, King disrupted Breese's leg stump. Next up, Laurie
Williams had his stump uprooted, bowled off the inside edge by
King.
Darren Powell gave Nagamootoo his 48th scalp this year, pushing
uncertainly forward to be lbw for 12. Had it not been for another
ugly chapter in the day's play, Nagamootoo would have been the
outright holder of the record.
Again, it was umpire Billy Doctrove -- who is not having a
memorable match -- making a mistake. Cunningham, on 23, played and
missed and was bowled. Doctrove, uncertain of what had happened,
ruled the batsman not out. Television replays showed the ball
dislodging the bail before going into the glove of wicketkeeper
Ally-Hanniff.
Nagamootoo finished with five for 97 from 39 overs. King took four
for 60 from 22.1 overs.