Thursday, March 28, 2024

Dwayne stars

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An enterprising century stand between Barbadian all-rounders Dwayne Smith and Jason Holder was the highlight of the WICB’s President’s Xl’s first innings after they opted to bat in the three-day practice match against the touring Australians at the 3Ws Oval yesterday.
Smith made an entertaining half-century while Holder fell one short as the President’s men folded for 201.  
Fast bowler Ryan Harris and left-arm spinner Michael Beer equally split eight of the wickets.
Australia lost both openers before the close as they reached 81 for two in 19 overs.
Shane Watson has so far top scored with 42 while Ricky Ponting is not out eight and captain Michael Clarke unbeaten on 11.
Smith, a late replacement for the injured Johnson Charles, came to the crease with his team 72 for five with four quick wickets going down after lunch which was taken at 58 for one.
Smith stroked the ball freely from the start. He drove left-arm spinner Michael Beer straight for four, then pulled off-spinner Nathan Lyons to the midwicket boundary and lifted him straight for six.
Smith also counted a drive off Lyons that sped out to longoff among his seven fours. The hard-hitting right-hander also struck a six in 97 minutes’ batting during which he faced 73 balls. His half-century came off just 57 balls in 73 minutes.
Holder helped Smith add 103 for the seventh wicket in 86 minutes off 122 balls. The lanky right-hander who represented the Combined Campuses and Colleges in this year’s regional competition, was also in belligerent mood, clouting Lyons straight for four and lifting the off-spinner straight for six in the same over. He also played an exquisite square cut off Ben Hilfenhaus that raced to the point boundary.
In all, Holder struck seven fours in an innings that lasted 114 minutes and in which he faced 76 deliveries.
The partnership ended when Smith edged a delivery that lifted awkwardly to gully where the catch was taken by Peter Forrest.  
At that stage, Holder was 39. He added a further ten before tugging a delivery from Beer to mid-on where substitute Mitchell Starc took the catch.
There was little resistance after that as the last four wickets tumbled for 20 runs.
Beer snared four for 41 off 8.2 overs while Harris finished with four for 22 off 13 overs.
Earlier opener Devon Smith laboured 93 minutes over seven runs out of an opening stand of 42 with Kieran Powell. Beer ended his tortuous knock in his first over, trapping the Grenadian lbw.  
Shortly after lunch Powell was bowled by Harris for 42 made in 125 minutes off 104 balls with four fours.  
Nkrumah Bonner, Kyle Corbin, Devon Thomas and Carlton Baugh all fell cheaply as five wickets went down for just 18 runs.  
Harris found himself on a hat-trick when he won lbw decisions against Bonner and Thomas.
When Australia replied,off-spinner Ryan Austin broke the opening partnership by removing Ed Cowan (12) with the score on 43 but Watson stroked eight boundaries in 42 before being dismissed lbw to pacer Nelon Pascal shortly before the close.

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