West Indies: Nortel Championship - Opening Lapse (9 Jul 1998)

9 July 1998

Opening Lapse

The Barbados Nation

PORT-OF-SPAIN: As rain wreaked havoc with the opening day of the 1998 Nortel youth cricket championship, Barbados made an unimpressive start to their practice match against newcomers Canada yesterday.

Barbados failed to build on a half-century opening stand and Canada were able to restrict Marlon Grahams team to 196 for nine at Shaw Park in Tobago.

It was a fine effort from Canada, whose matches will not involve points.

Opener Corey Yearwood hit the topscore of 38 for Barbados, whose other double-figure contributors were Graham (29), Ryan Hinds (29), Jason Haynes (27) and wicket-keeper Corey Glasgow (23).

Left-arm spinner Kevin Sandher took five for 51 and off-spinner Akshay Baghai two for 41.

Over at Roxborough, also in Tobago, Leeward Islands struggled to 110 for eight against the Nortel Development XI, a team comprising six players from the host country and one each from the other participating teams.

The match started after lunch because the Leewards flight from Trinidad to Tobago was delayed.

Captain Sylvester Joseph made 33, while Barbadian Kurt Wilkinson took three for 17 with his leg-breaks.

Not a single ball was bowled in Trinidad where heavy torrential rain followed by several flashes of lightning forced abandonment of the first days play in the matches between Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands at Inshan Ali Park in Preysal and six-time defending champions Guyana and Jamaica at Presentation College in Chaguanas

At Inshan Ali Park, regional umpires Terrence Birbal and Enite Ali called off play just after the lunch interval.

Birbal and Ali, who had inspected the outfield just before the 10 a.m. scheduled start, said that although the pitch was well covered the outfield was not only soggy and water-logged, but also muddy in several areas nearing the bowlers run up.

With unfavourable weather conditions throughout the country during the past few days it is very unlikely the game will have a prompt start in todays second days play.

At Presentation College in central Trinidad, umpires Zainool Maccum and Basant Sahadeo, managers of both teams, and match inspector Parasram Ramsubhag decided to call off play at 1 p.m in overcast conditions.

Guyana coach Albert Smith lamented the fact that the loss of the days play could severely hamper his teams chances of qualifying for the next stage of the tournament.

Lyndel Wright, manager of the Jamaican team said that the bad weather dampened the spirit of the game.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)