SAGICOR UWI are missing the cream of their crop, but it made no difference to the three-time defending champions yesterday.
Even without five of their top players for various reasons, they dictated proceedings against Super Centre Spartan on the opening day of the top-of-the-table LIME Elite Division match.
The front-runners rolled over joint second-placed Spartan for 153, thanks to off-spinner Ryan Austin’s umpteenth five-wicket haul, and by stumps, had made measured progress to reach 98 for three on the back of captain Omar Phillips’ unbeaten 58.
It hardly looked as though the champions were without West Indies “A” selectees Jonathan Carter, Kevin McClean and Kyle Corbin, new West Indies High performance Centre student Carlos Brathwaite and the season’s first century-maker Raymon Reifer, who is headed to England in a few days on a professional stint.
Yesterday’s performance emphasized the depth in the UWI programme and even this early in the season they look like serious contenders to achieve a fourth successive title.
Promising start
Spartan would have been very disappointed after a promising start that was built on opener Rashidi Boucher’s impressive 74, but they were undone by Austin and the support he received from little-known Akeem Dewar and Samuel Peters.
The visitors were looking good when they reached 82 for one, but a collapse in which the last nine wickets fell for 71, and the last six for 35, denied them any batting points after they were sent in.
Austin, unflustered when Boucher lofted him for a six over long-on, bowled with good control to bag five for 34 from 19 overs, three of his wickets coming by way of catches off the outside edge.
Dewar, a tall leg-spinner, was also lifted over the ropes by Boucher, but put it behind him to claim three wickets, including the important scalp of Boucher, whose 74 came from 96 balls and included eight fours.
In the absence of pacers McClean and Brathwaite, UWI debuted Antiguan fast bowler Peters, who created a favourable impression by removing Maradon Bend and Reydon Toppin for ducks in the space of three balls.
Spartan struck an early blow when pacer Jeremy Marshall induced Nekoli Parris into edging a catch to Boucher at third slip. The same combination should also have accounted for Phillips when he was only one.
