da betsul： The most exciting day’s cricket in the Busta tournament so far saw EnglandA’s early afternoon advantage snatched away by an electric partnershipbetween Guyana’s Carl Hooper and Ramnaresh Sarwan
da bwin： Kate Laven25-Feb-2001The most exciting day’s cricket in the Busta tournament so far saw EnglandA’s early afternoon advantage snatched away by an electric partnershipbetween Guyana’s Carl Hooper and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
RamnareshSarwan
Photo CricInfo
In a packed Bourda stadium, the veteran of West Indies cricket and his youngprotegy added 157 for the fifth wicket to leave the game intriguinglybalanced after two days in this Busta International Shield semi-final at Georgetown.Hooper was finally dismissed in the over before stumps, just nine runs shortof his century which not only deprived him of a $100,000 (Guyanese) prize,offered by a local pharmaceutical company if he made 100, but also left himwith 111 runs still to get to win the big US$50,000 prize put up by the WestIndies Cricket Board for the first Caribbean batsman to 1,000 runs.His 91 from 136 balls was full of both power and subtlety as he punishedthe spinners with a confidence that has grown as he has run into the bestform of his life. He was eventually out to a ball from Chris Schofield thatcame over the wicket and bounced into the rough, popping up high to giveVikram Solanki an easy catch running round from first slip to silly point.By the time he departed, Guyana had recovered from their potentially disastrousposition in the early afternoon of 33 for four in reply to England A’s first innings total of 293.At the fall of his wicket, they were in a more comfortable zone at 190 forfive, still trailing England A by 102 but with Sarwan still at the crease,having made his sixth half-century of the season, the tourists still havemuch to do before they can claim victory at the half-way stage, which mayearn them a place in the final.Schofield spearheaded the action for much of the day when he added another36 runs to his overnight total to close the innings unbeaten on 64. But hewas involved in two run outs which saw Chris Read depart in the third overof the morning for 24 after gambling unsuccessfully on a risky single andthen after making a stylish 32 from 69 balls, Alex Tudor was also dispatchedby a fielder’s rapid return.”That was very disappointing,” said Schofield afterwards. “The atmosphere was very loud so we were relying more on eye contact than hearing the calls. There was a quick second when you couldn’t hear your partner and that’s when we ran into trouble. These things happen and you apologise and get on with it but it is a pity it happened twice in the same day,” he said.There were two more near misses but Hooper missed a return from MahendraNagamootoo to let Tudor off the hook and Ryan Sidebottom made his crease bya whisker shortly before he was lbw to Hooper, a wicket that wrapped up theinnings and gave Hooper figures of 5-49.With Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sarwan in the Guyana line-up, the293 total looked well short of a winning first innings one but a remarkablespell from the England A bowlers led to the demolition of the top order withfour wickets falling for just six runs.Graeme Swann captured opener Seonarine Chattergoo with an easy caught andbowled chance, then had Travis Dowlin caught at extra cover by Michael Powellfor a duck. Chanderpaul, back from a three-month absence after injuring hisfoot in Australia, edged Tudor to the wicket-keeper Read, who took abrilliant catch just millimetres of the ground and Usman Afzaal took anotherexcellent catch at third slip to dismiss Azumeel Haniff, openingSidebottom’s account in the match.But then, to an overwhelming reception from his home crowd, Hooper arrived topartner the 18 year-old Sarwan. They played watchfully to tea but returnedfrom the interval to inflict a major assault on the bowlers. In the firstfive overs, they blasted 37 runs to all parts of the ground, theNorthamptonshire off-spinner Swann heaved over the boundary fence twice bythe mighty Hooper.The partnership was enthusiastically urged on by the crowd who wererelishing the big hitting by two top-class batsmen but despite theonslaught, England A never gave up hope of breaking the stand with skipperMark Alleyne maintaining pressure throughout with a regular rotation of hisbowlers.But they had to wait until the penultimate over of the day before they wererewarded with Hooper’s wicket, which saw him depart to stunneddisappointment from his doting supporters.England A’s bowling figures reflected a heavy day’s work. Swann yielded justseven runs from his first six overs but by the close, 62 runs had beenpicked off his 13 overs after Hooper’s brutal assault.”Hooper and Sarwan attacked us and I think we were a bit stunned by that andlet them get away to a 157-run partnership,” said Schofield.”But hopefully we can come back tomorrow and get them all out before theyget to 290 and win on first innings.”We knew that if got to 270, it would go right down to the last day and Ithink if we do get them out, even if they win first innings, there is stilla lot to come. We are still confident we can get an outright win from thisgame,” Schofield said.
