Leewards, T&T heading for tense finish on final day

FOURSQUARE, Barbados (CMC):

The experienced Wilden Cornwall and Omari Banks linked up for eight wickets yesterday and placed the Leeward Islands in position for a victory against Trinidad and Tobago in a fourth-round WICB regional first-class match that is poised for a tight finish yesterday.

After three days play in the low-scoring encounter at Foursquare Oval, the match is delicately balanced and the Leewards - chasing 202 for an outright win - were 115 for five at stumps yesterday, 87 runs adrift of victory with half their batting intact.

Trinidad and Tobago are in with a chance, needing five mostly lower order wickets to complete a come-from-behind win.

At the crease are all-rounders Banks (25) and Cornwall (8).

With just the bowlers to follow, the pair will need to put on a defiant partnership in the first session of Monday's final day to inch their team close toward the victory target.

Trinidad and Tobago started yesterday's third day on 94 for three and through the admirable and intelligent approach of Imran Khan, they made it to 226 all out.

Khan, who came to the crease at No.7, was the last man to be dismissed for 63 from 100 balls and he hit three fours and two thunderous sixes over extra cover off Banks.

Supportive players

He received support from Jason Mohammed (44) and Sherwin Ganga (32) as Trinidad and Tobago improved upon their 176 in the first innings to which Leewards had responded with 201.

Medium pacer Cornwall, who took a five-wicket haul in the first innings, was again among the wickets, taking four for 56 to finish with a match haul of nine for 83.

Banks also bagged four wickets for 53 runs from 23 overs with his off-spin, while Cornwall delivered 29 overs in the second innings.

AT 3Ws OVAL: Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) beat Guyana by five wickets late on the third day of their match at the 3Ws Oval yesterday. Set 195 runs to win, CCC finished on 195 for five to record their second win this season.

Scores: GUYANA 271 (Royston Crandon 94, Esuan Crandon 48 not out, Assad Fudadin 32, Rajendra Chandrika 23, Derwin Christian 21; Khismar Catlin 3-47, Kevin McClean 3-61, Ryan Austin 3-76) & 162 (Sewnarine Chattergoon 39, Christopher Barnwell 27; Ryan Austin 7-42, Khismar Catlin 2-51); CCC 239 (Kyle Corbin 74, Floyd Reifer 57, Kavesh Kantasingh 34, Chadwick Walton 25; Brandon Bess 3-38, Veerasammy Permaul 3-75, Esuan Crandon 2-47) and 195-5 (Kjorn Ottley 66, Omar Phillips 35, Chadwick Walton 34 not out; Brandon Bess 3-37).

AT KENSINGTON OVAL: Barbados, trailing by 20 runs on first innings, reached 250 for four in their second innings at the close on the third day of their fourth-round match against the Windward Islands yesterday.

Scores: BARBADOS 287 (Kirk Edwards 55, Jason Haynes 51, Dale Richards 50, Ryan Hinds 40, Shamarh Brooks 30; Shane Shillingford 37.4-8-98-6, Rawl Lewis 2-58) and 250 for four (Kirk Edwards 90, Ryan Hinds 58, Dale Richards 53, Kevin Stoute 27 not out; Shane Shillingford 3-76); WINDWARD ISLANDS 307 (Liam Sebastien 143, Andre Fletcher 63, Lyndon James 28, Rawl Lewis 21; Kevin Stoute 3-14, Pedro Collins 2-51).