WI domestic: Hurley shines

Ryan Hurley can do nothing wrong at the moment. Full of energy and enthusiasm, the immensely gifted all-rounder once more performed with glowing distinction on his return to first-class cricket yesterday.

His astute and varied off-spin earned him three wickets and his fleet-footed movements and sprawling dives saved a few runs in the outfield.

But no other Barbados bowler could match his standards on an absorbing second day's play of the Busta Cup opener against Guyana until late in the evening when the home team snatched two wickets.

When a light shower sent the players off Kensington Oval at 5:37 p.m., with Barbados still 6.2 overs short of completing their quota, Guyana were 152 for five, needing another 121 runs to overhaul Barbados' 272.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, the gifted 19-year-old, was leading the visitors' reply with a high-quality half-century, but Barbados were supremely confident that he had edged an intended hook to the 'keeper off Ian Bradshaw in the dying stages.

It was an even battle heading into the homestretch, but Guyana handed Barbados the advantage courtesy of two soft dismissals, the latter effected by a sensational diving catch by Floyd Reifer.

Sarwan, displaying the talent that has been spoken of him since he made his first-class debut as a 15-year-old in 1996, was building a fourth-wicket partnership with Travis Dowlin when Bradshaw broke their association that was worth 57.

The pair was entrenched for 1 3/4 hours when Dowlin gloved his attempted hook into the gloves of Courtney Browne.

Guyana captain Neil McGarrell opted to move himself a notch up the order, but would have been cursing himself last night when he reflected on his disappointing pull shot to a Dave Marshall long-hop.

Marshall's leg-breaks made little impact on the day, but he must compliment Reifer for a breathtaking catch at mid-wicket from a shot that would have earned a boundary had it been stuck a yard further away from the fielder.

For most of the day, Barbados' fast men, Hendy Bryan, Dayne Maynard and Bradshaw were steady but hardly penetrative and it was left to the irrepressible Hurley to pose a threat.

Brought on after little Nicholas deGroot and Azeemul Haniff were defying the defending champions in a stubborn opening partnership of 52 that stretched nearly 2 1/2 hours, Hurley struck twice in successive balls in his first over.

Haniff, whose left-handedness, stance and mannerisms bear some resemblance to his more illustrious countryman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, launched into a massive drive that was struck down the lap of Maynard at mid-off.

Before he could remove his pads, Keith Semple was joining him in the pavilion, the experienced No. 3 pinned on the back foot to a ball that kept low and went on to bowl him.

Sarwan, the youngest ever debutant in the history of West Indies first-class cricket, survived the hat-trick and proceeded to play with increasing command, especially when he was cutting.

It was a shot that brought the three-time West Indies "A" team selectee most of his six boundaries in an impressive innings of 60 not out that has so far lasted three hours.

Guyana resume Day 3 this morning with the knowledge that he holds the key to their quest for first innings points.

Yesterday, he was just as dominant as Hurley, who was carrying on from where he left off on the opening day when he made an entertaining half-century on his first appearance in a first-class match since 1997.

The 24-year-old former West Indies youth team player, however, collected his third wicket in fortunate circumstances.

deGroot, having occupied the crease for almost three hours for his 31, was stunned to see his firm pull rebound off the back of Wayne Blackman at forward short-leg and result in a comfortable catch for Antonio Mayers at mid-wicket.