Windies bowlers endure hard toil against FCC Select XI

BECKENHAM, England (CMC):

FORMER ENGLAND under-19 international William Luxton led strong batting from the First-Class Counties Select XI with an enterprising, unbeaten 100 against the West Indies in Beckenham yesterday.

The Caribbean side were 57 for two in their second innings at the close on the second day of the three-day match at the Kent County Cricket Ground, with Mikyle Louis, opening the batting, not out on 28 and left-hander Alick Athanaze not out on nought.

The visitors lost opener Zachary McCaskie, caught at point off pacer John Turner for two in the third over, playing a square drive, and left-hander Kirk McKenzie entertained briefly with four boundaries in 17 in a second-wicket stand of 37 with Louis before off-spinner Bertie Foreman got him caught at long-on mistiming a lofted drive.

The bowlers on the Caribbean side had limited success earlier. Luxton, batting at five, hit 112 not out to anchor the Select XI to 373 for four declared.

With the delayed arrival from Guyana of fast bowler Shamar Joseph, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite used 10 bowlers, including left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, whose departure from Georgetown had also been delayed due to Hurricane Beryl, and development player Isai Thorne.

None of the bowlers used really distinguished themselves, but Thorne, world-rated all-rounder Jason Holder, vice-captain and main strike bowler Alzarri Joseph, as well as part-time left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge collected a wicket each.

The Caribbean side met resistance from Hamza Shaikh, who scored 84, Tom Prest, who got 53, Harry Duke, not out on 46, Harry Singh, 34, and Ben McKinney, 22.

But Joseph believes there is value from spending so much time in the field.

GOOD TO BE BACK

He said it was good to be back bowling with a red ball again after a surfeit of white-ball matches over the past few months, including being part of the failed attempt of the visitors to try to win their third ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup last month on home soil in the Caribbean and the United States.

“It was pretty good getting a run out after not bowling a red ball for the past couple of months, so I think I got what I needed out of it – a few overs under my belt and spending some time out in the field,” he said in an interview with CWI Media.

“These games are always about getting yourself prepared mentally and physically for the matches ahead. So all in all, I think everyone got what they needed out of this game … . Our last Test series [against Australia this past January] was pretty good, so we are looking forward to building on that.”

West Indies may have harboured hopes of running through the Select XI batting after Hodge got Shaikh caught at deep mid-wicket from a miscued pull in the final hour before the hosts reached 233 for four at tea.

But the Caribbean side found Luxton, whose hundred came from 115 balls with a drive to long-on for a single off Motie, and wicketkeeper-batsman Harry Duke difficult to dislodge, and the pair shared 140 – unbroken – for the fifth wicket.

Holder and Thorne were successful before lunch when the Select XI reached 109 for two after adding 94 to their overnight total.