The 2011 Leeward Islands Masters Cricket Tournament got under way on Friday at the Schjang Ball Park in Estate St. John as it was the St. Croix Masters turn to play host. Two matches were contested on Friday with defending champion Anguilla taking on St. Kitts in the early game and Nevis going up against St. Thomas in game two.
Anguilla 114-1, St. Kitts 113- all out
Anguilla showed that they will be in the hunt for the second crown in as many years with a dominating victory over the Kittitians.
Anguilla won the toss and sent St. Kitts in to bat. The Kittitians started well and at one point were 69 for the loss of just one wicket. They were led by Luther Kelly who stroked an entertaining 50 to give his team a good start, but immediately after his dismissal the Kittitians went into a nosedive. From 69-1 they were all out for 113 in 18.3 overs. Kelly stood out among the St. Kitts batsmen with his 50 runs, while Reginald Carty was the pick of the Anguilla bowlers with figures 4-0-5-14. Collie Rogers was also very economical for the Anguillans with figures of 4-1-10-0.
The Anguillans made their run look easy and except for losing the wicket of John Jeffers for 18 runs, victory seemed never in doubt. Collie Rogers and Keith Carty feasted on the offerings of the St. Kitts bowlers and easily raced to the winning total of 114 for one. Rogers tallied 48 runs at the crease while Carty supported with a workmanlike 38, as they powered their team to victory.
Nevis 182-all out, St. Thomas 138-6
The Nevisian captain, Stuart Williams, led from the front when his team batted first in game two. Stuart, who played some 31 test matches and 57 ODIs for the West Indies cricket team, showed his class by blasting a fan-pleasing 58 runs from 31 balls to help his team to a daunting total of 182 runs, all out, from their 20 allotted overs. Another member of the Nevisian squad who represented the West Indies senior side was Derrick Parry, who played in 12 test and six ODI’s.
Match Summary:
Nevis 182 all out: Williams 58; Alexis Brown 23; Junior Mills 22; Charles Morton 10.
St. Thomas bowling—Terrence Webbe 4-0-25-3; Hamesh Anthony 4-0-37-2
St. Thomas-136 for 6 in 20 overs—Webbe 52; Brian Stuart 25; Errol Wallace 24
Nevis Bowling – Wendell Wallace 3-0-13-2; Winston Sutton 4-0-29-2
