Hughes, Carty anchor Leewards to the brink

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Halfcenturies from openers Chesney Hughes and Keacy Carty laid the foundation for Leeward Islands Hurricanes to get within touching distance of a lead over Windward Islands Volcanoes in the Regional 4-Day Championship here yesterday.

Hughes made 89 and Carty stroked 72 before the Volcanoes hit back to restrict the Hurricanes to 231 for four in their first innings at the close – trailing by just two runs – on the second day of the first round match at the National Cricket Stadium.

Hughes, the big left-handed Anguillan with a number of years’ experience in the English County Championship, struck three fours and five sixes from 179 balls in close to four hours of batting.

Carty, a tall, elegant right-hander from St. Maarten, whose half-century sealed the 2016 ICC Youth World Cup for Windies Under-19, collected six fours and one six from 148 balls in just under three hours at the crease.

Hughes and Carty put on 151 for the first wicket, but they were wiped away, as the Volcanoes claimed four wickets for 30 runs in the space of 79 deliveries – two to hometown fast bowler Sherman Lewis – to take the wind out of the Hurricanes.

Jamaica-born Nkrumah Bonner, not out on 19, and Jacques Taylor, not out on 24, batted through the remainder of the day however, putting on 47 – unbroken – for the fifth wicket to carry the visitors to the verge of the lead.

Starting the day on 220 for seven, the Volcanoes failed to make much further headway when play resumed and were bowled out for 232 inside the first halfhour.

Jeremiah Louis captured the last three wickets and was the Hurricanes’ most successful bowler with 4-36 from 18.1 overs.

Mervyn Matthew, the former Volcanoes fast-medium bowler, ended with 3-30. VOLCANOES 1st Innings HURRICANES 1st Innings (overnight 220 for seven) C Hughes lbw b Lewis 89 D Smith c wkpr Thomas b Louis 16 K Carty b Johnson 74 *T Theophile run out 23 A Saunders lbw b Saunders 6 K Edwards lbw b Matthew 35 *+D Thomas c Alexander b Shillingford 4 R Cato c Carty b Matthew 90 N Bonner not out 19 K Hodge c Taylor b Tonge 41 J Taylor not out 24 L Sebastien lbw b Warde 3 Extras (b8, nb7) 15 +G Benjamin c wkpr Thomas b Matthew TOTAL (4 wkts, 81 overs) 231 2 J Campbell, J Louis, M Matthew, G 2 Tonge, T Warde to bat 6 Fall of wickets: 1-151, 2-175, 3-184, 4184 2 2 Bowling: Johnson 7-2-14-1; Lewis 14-429-2; 11 Shillingford 25-6-66-1; Sebastien 233 15-0-49-0 (nb1); Alexander 18-1-55-0 (nb6); Hodge 2-0-10-0 Position: Hurricanes trail by two with six first innings wickets standing Umpires: J Blades (Barbados), J Wilson (Trinidad & Tobago) Match referee: C Felix Reserve umpire: R Davis S Shillingford b Louis A Alexander c Thomas b Louis D Johnson c Tonge b Louis S Lewis not out Extras (b3, lb2, nb6) TOTAL (all out, 93.2 overs)

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-58, 3-105, 4-213, 5-213, 6-217, 7-218, 8-226, 9-228 Bowling: Matthew 19-6-30-3 (nb2); Louis 18.1-7-36-4 (nb4); Tonge 10-5-231; Campbell 15-3-35-0; Bonner 12-1-450; Taylor 11-0-35-0; Warde 8-1-24-1