UWI smell victory

A COMBINATION of the pace of Gilford Moore and spin of Kavesh Kantasingh bowled Sagicor UWI to the verge of victory over ICBL Empire yesterday.Moore finished with two wickets for 13 runs from eight overs, and Kantasingh two for 21 from 12, as UWI, leading by 62 runs on first innings, reduced Empire to 90 for six in their second innings at the close on a rain-affected second day of the fifth round LIME Division 1 match.Barbados all-rounder Kevin Stoute held the Empire innings together with three fours and one six in 37 not out from 94 balls in just over two hours.But his steady batting was an example his teammates failed to copy, and the Blues find themselves staring at a heavy defeat on today’s final day.Earlier, Stoute had also featured, when he snared two of the last three UWI wickets to fall, and ended with five for 45 from 12 overs.After play started an hour and 45 minutes later than scheduled, UWI, replying to Empire’s first innings total of 125, were dismissed for 187 about 25 minutes before tea.Empire then wobbled on no runs for two wickets, after opener Jason Haynes was bowled for a duck offering no stroke to Raymon Reifer, and Moore had Jamal Smith caught at first slip also for a duck.Antonio Greenidge joined Shawn Graham, and they got Empire moving with a stand of 33 for the third wicket, but they fell within nine balls of each other.Graham was caught at mid-on off Kantasingh for 24, and Greenidge was caught behind for nine cutting to leave the Blues on 37 for four.Jason Hinds joined Stoute, and spent just over an hour at the crease to stem the fall of wickets before Empire lost their way again.Hinds was bowled for six sweeping, and veteran Robin Parris was caught at mid-on off Kantasingh for a duck to leave Empire 63 for six.Ian Perryman Jr and Stoute spent the last 45 minutes together to extend Empire’s innings into the final day.UWI, overweek 150 for seven, had lost Ezra Greene for a well-played 49, Ryan Austin made 27, and Moore scored ten, as Empire, hamstrung by the absence of Andre Evelyn and Lemar Mascoll, needed close to an hour to dismiss the hosts.