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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday March 10, 2014
T&T register big win over Windwards ... Akeal Hosein finishes with 11 for 67
By BRIJ PARASNATH In Trinidad & Tobago PROMISING all-rounder Akeal Hosein emerged as the unlikely hero when he finished with magnificent match figures of 11 for 67 in only his third outing in the WICB Regional 4-Day competition. Yesterday, the left-arm spinner spearheaded Trinidad and Tobago’s comprehensive 186run victory over Windward Islands in their second round encounter at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday. After Hosein had grabbed his first five-wicket in the first innings with 6 for 33, it was surprising that skipper Reyad Emrit persisted with his quicker bowlers as Windwards set about chasing 311 for victory after T&T mustered 210 in the second innings. The 20-year-old QPCC
Akeal Hosein player relished the conditions and he made an instant impact just as he did in the first innings. While veteran opener Devon Smith played a patient hand once again, there was no stopping T&T from celebrating a convincing victory after Hosein destroyed Windwards middle-order with another stunning spell of tantalising spin that left his opponents completely mesmerised and unsure of how best to deal with the extra bounce and turn that he extracted at
will. In his inspired spell, Hosein prised out Keddy Lesporis (caught Darren Bravo) for nine, Romel Currency (lbw) for two, Liam Sebastien (bowled) for zero and Lyndon James (caught Jason Mohammed) for five. Having been in a more comfortable zone at 63 for 2 when the quicker bowlers Shannon Gabriel, Marlon Richards and skipper Emrit operated; Windwards soon found themselves experiencing bitter feelings of anxiety and tragedy as well as sad memories when youthful Hosein struck crucially at 64 (20.4 overs), 68 (22.5), 70 (24.2) and 80 (28.2). Gabriel had removed opener Tyrone Theophille (bowled) for eight at 22 (7.3 overs) and Dalton Polius
(caught Yannic Cariah) for ten at 47 (15.2 overs). Emrit introduced off-spinner Imran Khan who did the trick and outfoxed Alston Bobb (caught Adrian Barath) for 14 and then captured the obdurate Smith (also caught by Barath) for 55 that was studded with nine boundaries off 110 balls. Left-handed Smith became the third player, after Leewards’ Stuart Williams and Barbadian Floyd Reifer; to amass 6 000 Regional First Class runs when he registered his first run in the second innings, a boundary stroke off Gabriel in the first over. His overall tally stands at 6 054 from 83 matches and 157 innings. Khan finished with three wickets for 16 from 5.1 overs while Hosein took his match
tally to eleven wickets when he dismissed Delorn Johnson (caught by Cariah) for zero. He ended the second innings with analysis of 10-1-34-5. Earlier in the day; Darren Bravo (57 not out) and Yannic Cariah (7 not out) resumed with T&T’s second at 127 for 7 from their overnight position. They held a lead of 217 after having dismissed Windwards for 122 in their first innings in reply to the homesters first innings score of 222 made on Friday. Both Bravo (66 n.o.) and Cariah (24 n.o.) survived the first hour’s play and took the total to 160 for 7 after 60 overs. But seven runs later Bravo departed foe a wellplayed 67 that contained ten fours off 188 balls. His 242-minute battle of attrition ended when he edged medium
pacer Kenroy Peters to Theophille at first slip position. He had shared a crucial 61-run eighth wicket partnership with Cariah who narrowly missed his second regional fifty when he was ninth out at 209 (77.1 overs), caught by Romel Currency off left-arm spinner Alston Bobb. Cariah’s innings lasted 140 minutes and he struck six fours off 103 balls for his 49. He featured in a 42-run ninth-wicket partnership with Richards who smashed two towering sixes in his 21 scored off 54 balls. T&T second innings (209 for 9 off 77 overs) closed just after resumption from the lunch interval. Only twelve balls more were bowled when Richards was caught by Theophille off speedster Nelon Pascal who finished with 3 for 40. The other wicket-takers were Peters (3 for 37) and Johnson (2 for 24).
Wigan stun City as Sheffield Utd, Hull make semis By Stephen Wood LONDON, England (Reuters) - FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic proved Manchester City’s nemesis for the second time in less than a year yesterday with a shock 2-1 quarter-final victory over Manuel Pellegrini’s talent-laden side. Second-tier Wigan, who upset City 1-0 in the final at Wembley last May to secure the Cup for the first time, went ahead through Jordi Gomez and James Perch before holding off a rousing City fightback to set up a semi-final against Arsenal. They were joined in the last four by Sheffield United and Hull City after the third-tier Blades upset Championship (second tier) side Charlton Athletic 2-0 and Hull beat Premier League rivals Sunderland 3-0 in yesterday’s other sixth-round ties. Arsenal had already booked their place in the last four with a 4-1 win over Everton on Saturday. City secured the English League Cup last Sunday in what fans hoped would be the first leg of an unprecedented quadruple.
Wigan Athletic’s James Perch (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Manchester City during their English FA Cup quarter-final soccer match at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, northern England, yesterday. (Credit: Reuters/Phil Noble) Fourth in the Premier of Wigan. League, and needing to overBut the Championship side, turn a two-goal deficit at Barmanaged by former City striker celona in the second leg of their and terrace hero Uwe Rosler, Champions League last-16 tie executed a perfect game plan on Wednesday, City were strong and capitalised on a tired City favourites to negotiate the visit display to go 2-0 up after 46 minutes. “The only chance we had of doing the same here (beating City again),” Rosler told BT Sport, “was to keep the ball. You have to get the ball down ... It is (Monday March 10, 2014) high risk, but our back five, and Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the midfield, were very good. The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & “I talked (to the players) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 about bravery as well. We had Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Lady Luck on our side, but overall we are delighted.” Answers to Saturday’s quiz: City defender Martin DemAlvin Kallicharran and Len Baichan ichelis, under the spotlight after Dennis Amiss and Michael Lumb recent poor performances, gave away the penalty that allowed Today’s Quiz: Wigan to take the lead in the 27th minute. Who is the first WI player to score twin hundreds in a The Argentine bought a Test? Where and when? dummy from Marc-Antoine Sir Vivian Richards won 31 Man of the Match Fortune at the byline, tripped the Awards in ODIs. When and where did he win his first? French striker in his desperation to make amends and Gomez Answers in tomorrow’s issue
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER
stroked home the spot-kick. City were stunned again two minutes after the break, when James McArthur was given time and space to cross and Perch embarrassed a sleepy Gael Clichy at the far post to bundle over the line from two metres. It took 63 minutes for the home side to seriously threaten the visitors’ goal when substitute striker Edin Dzeko headed against a post. They made their breakthrough four minutes later. Dzeko used his aerial strength to meet a corner, Micah Richards laid off to Samir Nasri and, from 20 metres the Frenchman drilled a left-foot half-volley through a crowd of players - including Joleon Lescott standing in an offside position - and into the bottom corner of the Wigan net. “I felt their goal was offside,” Rosler said. “Lescott was interfering with (the line of sight of) our goalkeeper.” ‘GREAT INTENSITY’ Seconds later, defender
Richards whistled an angled effort inches wide of Scott Carson’s upright as City piled on the pressure. Dzeko came within inches of forcing a replay but Emmerson Boyce produced a remarkable last-ditch block, and then Dzeko again was agonisingly wide with another header. “It is disappointing,” Pellegrini said. “I did not think we could be eliminated here against Wigan, and we had chances to draw, but they played with great intensity and deserved to go through.” Earlier at Bramall Lane, second-half strikes from Ryan Flynn and John Brayford caught second-tier Charlton cold, as Sheffield United became the first third-tier team since 2001 to reach the competition’s last four. Midfielder Flynn put fourtime Cup winners United ahead in the 65th minute, when he sneaked in at the far post to nudge home a left-wing cross from Jose Baxter. One minute, 42 seconds later the home side doubled their
lead when defender Brayford’s low, 20-metre effort took a cruel deflection off the visitors’ Richard Wood and rolled into the net. At the KC Stadium, Hull reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1930 after striker Sone Aluko missed a first-half penalty against Sunderland. A game of poor quality was brought to life in the 68th minute when defender Curtis Davies headed the opener. Four minutes later David Meyler was too quick and strong for Lee Cattermole, who allowed the midfielder to burst past him at the halfway line and slip the ball past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari for the second. Meyler celebrated by running towards the sideline and head-butting the corner flag in an apparent reference to an incident last week when Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew was sent off for aiming a headbutt at the Irishman during a Premier League game. “It was just a bit of banter,” Meyler told ITV Sport. “The lads were cheering me on ... that’s why I did it.”
New Zealand women complete series sweep against Windies MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (CMC) – New Zealand Women beat West Indies by 34 runs to complete a clean sweep over the West Indies in their Twenty20 series in Mount Maunganui here yesterday. New Zealand dismissed West Indies for 90 in reply to their 124 for five. New Zealand captain Suzie Bates led the scoring with 57, and Sophie Devine clinched three Windies
Suzie Bates wickets for just nine runs. The win gave the hosts the series 4-0, after sweeping the
one-day contest 3-0. On Saturday, the West Indies lost by eight wickets after being restricted to 99 for seven and New Zealand reaching 103 for two with more than three overs to spare. Bates was named Playerof-the-Match and the T20 series. Both sides will soon depart for Bangladesh for the upcoming World Twenty20 tournament starting later this month.