Hooper's Majestic 149 n.o Powers Guyana
Carl Hooper has very broad shoulders. On Saturday at Sabina
Park, the Guyana captain put the on his back and waltzed his way to
a majestic unbeaten 149 as Guyana took first innings points, and
possibly the Busta Shield championship.
With the score on 170 for five, with his team still 107 runs short
of the Jamaica first innings total, Hooper joined Ramnaresh Sarwan
and there was no looking back. He was at his flowing best, cutting,
pulling and driving his way to a memorable century.
Where others struggled, Hooper thrived. Coming off a double
century in the semi-finals against the Leewards, the West Indies
captain was equally comfortable against Jamaica's pacers and
spinners. He put on a 66-run seventh wicket partnership with Neil
McGarrell (23) before coaxing every ounce from the tailenders on
his way to his 56th first class century.
The strapping right-hander, who was particularly brutal on
off-spinner Gareth Breeze, reached his century in 163 minutes from
116 balls with 11 fours and three monster sixes.
To put things in perspective, Hooper so dominated the proceedings
that his batting partners hardly troubled the scorers. The
partnership with Nagamootoo was 31 but Nagamootoo only scored 1.
With Colin Stuart, he put on a 28-run partnership but Stuart, too,
only scored 1. Reon King was run out for a duck but the last-wicket
partnership was 39.
By the time Guyana was all out for 356, the first innings lead was
77 and Hooper's job was done.
Jamaica, looking to score quickly in the closing stages to bat
themselves back into contention, ended the day on 103 for two, a
lead of 26 runs with eight wickets in hand. Chris Gayle slammed
nine boundaries in a top score of 54 before he became Mahendra
Nagamootoo's 49th Busta Cup victim this year, a new record.
Leon Garrick spent 82 balls over 28 runs before he was caught
behind off McGarrell. At the close, Wavell Hinds (4) and Ryan
Cunningham (0) were the not out batsmen.