Edwards the Banks stopper

A SPLENDID seven-wicket haul by LIME fast bowler Corey Edwards ripped the heart out of Banks yesterday.The hosts were dismissed for 164 and at the close the visitors in reply were 39 for one on the first day of third-round matches in the LIME Division 1 competition.Edwards bowled with good line and speed and was duly rewarded with three wickets by tea time. Early in the innings, he captured the prized wicket of the prolific Martin Nurse when he was lured into helping a short-pitched delivery down to Kevon Beckles at deep backward square.Veteran Sherwin Campbell was another of his victims when he pulled a short delivery to Aubrey Towler at square leg while captain Keegan Alleyne never settled and was caught at mid-off.Edwards returned for a second spell immediately into the post tea session and continued his demolition. Topscorer Kofi Hurdle, who made 51, did not add to his score and was caught by wicketkeeper Alex Browne. Left-handed David Carter failed to negotiate a short-pitched ball, while Tariq Hoyte offered Browne another victim behind the wicket and Jamar Phillips was neatly taken Amory Holder in slips.Banks’ score was helped along by Hurdle’s half-century which included five fours and one six until his patience ran out. Most of the batsmen failed to cope with the attack of Edwards and leg-spinner Nikolai Charles who took two for 40.Anderson Sealy, with 28 before he was bowled by Ashley Nurse, looked as though he would have strecthed the innings, but when he departed, the remaining batsmen offered little.LIME lost the wicket of Kevon Beckles when he was leg before to Nurse while bowling his brisk medium pace. Randy Thomas is unbeaten on 17 and Towler ten.