PHILLIPSBURG, St. Maarten, CMC
ALL-ROUNDER WILDEN Cornwall hit his highest first-class score to lead a Leeward Islands batting assault on the Jamaican bowling attack on the first day of their sixth round match the Carib Beer 2005 Cricket Series yesterday.
Cornwall, who was unbeaten on 98 and approaching his first-ever century at the regional level, helped bat the Leewards into a strong position of 346 for five in their first innings when stumps were drawn at the Caribe Lumber Ball Park.
After Leewards won the toss, opener Shane Jeffers hit 67, captain Sylvester Joseph scored 60, and the long-standing Stuart Williams made 51.
Cornwall, who outscored Williams in a third-wicket stand of 120, has so far faced 138 balls in 151 minutes, striking 11 fours, including two sweetly-timed square-drives off Jamaica Captain Wavell Hinds, whose solitary over cost 11 runs.
SEVERE ON SPINNERS
But the Leewards batsmen were more severe on spinners Odean Brown, who conceded 77 runs from 14 overs, and left-armer Nikita Miller, who took two wickets for 80 from 32 overs.
Cornwall, who bettered his previous best first-class score of 84 made six years ago, and Williams took the Leewards from a shaky 108 for two when Willett and Joseph were dismissed off successive deliveries, to 300 for five.
Williams, who looked effortless in his stroke-play, looked set for a bigger score when he mistimed a delivery from Miller and gave the bowler a simple return catch. He batted for 117 minutes, faced 65 balls and struck 11 fours and a six off spinner Marlon Samuels over wide mid-wicket.
SCOREBOARD
LEEWARD ISLANDS 1st Innings
S. Jeffers lbw b Browne 67
T. Willett c Bernard b Washington 12
R. Morton b Miller 28
S. Joseph c wkpr Baugh b Samuels 60
S. Williams c and b Miller 51
W. Cornwall not out 98
+R. Jacobs not out 16
Extras (lb12, nb2) 14
TOTAL (5 wkts) 346
O. Banks, C. Simon, B. Stephanie, K. Jeremy to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-63, 3-180, 4-180, 5-300.
Bowling: Powell 10-2-42-0; Washington 9-1-39-1; Bernard 8-2-39-0; Miller 32-4-80-2 (nb1); Samuels 21-4-46-1 (nb1); Brown 14-1-77-1; Hinds 1-0-11-0.
JAMAICA: W. Hinds, D. Pagon, X. Marshall, M. Samuels, T. Lambert, D. Bernard, Jr., +C. Baugh, Jr., D. Powell, N. Miller, O. Brown, D. Washington.
UMPIRES: H. Gumbs, B. Doctrove.
