CMC

Monday, July 19, 2010

GROS-ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) — Kaveem Hodge and Sunil Ambris shared an unbroken stand of 46 for the fourth wicket to complete a seven-wicket victory for Windward Islands over Guyana in the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Challenge yesterday.

Hodge was not out on 34 and Ambris was not out on 32, as Windwards, chasing 88 for victory, reached their target about 40 minutes after the scheduled start on the third and final day of the third round match at the Gros-Islet Playing Field. Hodge formalised the result, when he lofted Anthony Adams for a straight four to give the Windwards their first victory of the competition. The result moved Windwards provisionally into the lead with 21 points, and condemned previous leaders Guyana to remain on 15 points. Windwards will face Jamaica at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in the key match of the fourth round, starting tomorrow, when Guyana will meet old rivals Barbados at the Dennery Playing Field.

Resuming from their overnight total of 39 for two, the Windwards suffered an early setback, when Adams bowled Kurt Edward for two. Windwards were 45 for three, but Ambris joined Hodge, and batted confidently to navigate their side to the target with little or no alarms. Adams finished with two wickets for 30 runs from 9.4 overs to be the pick of the Guyana bowler. Amir Khan had snared the scalp of Dwight Smith for one the previous day, and ended with a match haul of nine for 124, following his eight for 70 in the Windwards' first innings.