Headley-Weekes Tri-Series: Thomas and Permaul’s vital partnership ensures game stays in balance

Veerasammy Permaul also scored vital runs with the bat

West Indies Test players Devon Thomas and Veerasammy Permaul ensured Team Weekes had a slim lead in their first innings of the final match of the Headley-Weekes Tri-Series.
Team Headley had posted 177 in their first innings on day one, while Team Weekes made 235 all out in 80.3 overs on day two. Thomas scored an important 57 from 150 balls, which had seven fours and one six, while Permaul scored an unbeaten 35. Permaul and Thomas added 80 runs for the tenth wicket.
Team Weekes resumed the second day on 61-3. Captain Alick Athanaze had a start, but fell for 37 from 51 balls. Guyanese Kevin Sinclair, batting at number seven, made only 12 as Team Weekes were tottering at 155-7 at one stage. Thomas and Permaul rebuilt the innings and ensured Team Weekes surpassed 200.

Devon Thomas scored a fifty

Left-arm spinner Kaveem Hodge had 3-46, while Anderson Phillip had 2-44 in 13 overs and Chaim Holder had 2-30 in 14 overs. In reply, Team Headley reached 67-2 after 31 overs. Kieran Powell was the first to be dismissed – for nine, by Dominic Drakes; and Kaveem Hodge made 26. He was removed by Sinclair, caught and bowled. Guyanese Matthew Nandu is unbeaten at the crease on 28, while Sunil Ambris is on one.
On day one, Permaul snared his 600th First Class wicket. At stumps, Permaul said: “You’re always happy to achieve milestones, and this is one I will celebrate and cherish…but like I said, this is like a normal game for me. It’s just another game. I want to put the team in position to win…and we did that earlier by bowling them out for under 200.”
Day three will resume at 10:00h Eastern Caribbean Time at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

SCORECARD
Team Weekes 1st Innings
Tagenarine Chanderpaul lbw b Holder 12
Zachary McCaskie lbw b Mindley 2
Raymon Reifer b Holder 34
Alick Athanaze c Greaves b Phillip 37
Kacey Carty c Jordan b Phillip 17
Devon Thomas b Jordan 57
Kevin Sinclair c Da Silva b Hodge 12
Dominic Drakes b Hodge 18
Veerasammy Permaul not out 35
Nial Smith not out 0
Jair McAllister b Jordan 0
(10 wickets, 80.3) (11 extras)
235
FOW: 2/1 (1.5) Zachary McCaskie 50/2 (17.4) Tagenarine Chanderpaul 61/3 (21.6) Raymon Reifer 107/4 (32.6) Alick Athanaze 112/5 (34.4) Kacey Carty 125/6 (41.5) Kevin Sinclair 155/7 (57.2) Dominic Drakes 235/10 (80.2) Devon Thomas 235/11 (80.3) Jair McAllister
Bowling
Akeem Jordan (12.3-3-41-2)
Marquino Mindley (8-3-21-1)
Justin Greaves (13-4-36-0)
Anderson Phillip (13-0-44-2)
Chaim Holder (14-4-30-2)
Kavem Hodge (18-5-46-3)
Sunil Ambris (2-0-11-0)

Team Headley 2nd Innings
Kieran Powell c Smith b Drakes 9
Matthew Nandu not out 28
Kavem Hodge c & b Sinclair 26
Sunil Ambris not out 1

Total
(2 wickets, 31.0) (3 extras)
67
FOW: 22/1 (8.4) Kieran Powell 63/2 (25.6) Kavem Hodge

Bowling
Raymon Reifer (4-1-8-0)
Nial Smith (5-0-19-0)
Dominic Drakes (5-1-7-1)
Jair McAllister (2-0-12-0)
Kevin Sinclair (8-3-12-1)
Veerasammy Permaul (6-4-6-0)
Tagenarine Chanderpaul 1-1-0-0