Walsh (left) and Ambrose (right)BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CANA
THE Courtney Walsh/Curtly Ambrose Invitational XI won a close and entertaining one-day cricket festival match against a St. Kitts/Nevis Invitational XI by a mere seven runs at Warner Park on Saturday.
In the first of two matches organised by the St. Kitts Cricket Association in honour of the two great West Indian fast bowlers, the Invitational XI made 226 for nine off 45 overs and then dismissed their opponents for 219.
Jamaican middle order batsman Ricardo Powell topscored with 51, laced with seven fours off 53 balls, while St. Kitts' wicketkeeper-batsman Jason Williams made a sensible 45, including three sixes and one four off 80 balls for the Walsh/Ambrose XI.
West Indies opener Chris Gayle contributed 35 while the two honourees, Walsh and Ambrose provided fitting entertainment for the large crowd with cameo knocks of 26 not out and 17 respectively.
Unfortunately, the 15-year-old Trinidadian Lendyl Simmons, a member of the successful West Indies Under-15 World Cup team, was run out in the sixth over with the score on 23.
Marlon Samuels was then leg before wicket to a slower ball from former West Indies pacer Kenneth Benjamin and Shivnarine Chanderpaul was caught at the wicket by Ridley Jacobs off Wilden Cornwall as the Walsh/Ambrose XI slipped to 45 for three.
The Invitational XI slumped to 94 for five with young seamer Calvin Williams capturing two wickets, including the scalp of Gayle.
Cameron Cuffy, bowling well within himself, conceded only three runs from four overs while Williams took two for 61 and Kittitian left arm spinner Sheldon Jeffers, two for 46.
In reply, the St.Kitts/Nevis Invitation XI lost wickets at regular intervals.
Walsh and his former dreaded bowling partner Ambrose restricted the run rate of the 'home' side effectively in the early overs.
A solid 81-run partnership between St. Kitts captain Colin Cannonier, who made 37 and young Kittitian left-hander Codville Rogers, who scored 49 off 57 balls with seven fours and a six, solidified the middle.
An entertaining knock of 51 from West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs took the St.Kitts/Nevis side to within striking distance before eventually falling short by seven runs.
The young Nevisian, West Indies B team batsman Tonito Willett, also stroked 22 with four fours to keep up the momentum after his captain had departed.
After the game Walsh and Ambrose spoke to hundreds of elated Kittitian supporters who were eagerly seeking autographs from the West Indian cricket icons.
