ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

CANADA v CAYMAN ISLANDS Having lost to Bermuda, Canada had only an outside chance of repeating last year’s performance and winning the America Group. They needed to score more than 575 in the maximum of 90 overs allowed for the first innings and then dismiss the Cayman Islands twice. Prior to the match, the weather forecast was poor with heavy rain expected as the weakened cyclone that had produced Hurricane Katrina moved northwards from the Gulf of Mexico. In the event, the rains failed to arrive and Canada could not obtain sufficient points to overtake Bermuda. Ryan Bovell won the toss and invited Canada to bat and, as in their match against Bermuda, the Caymans began well, taking the first four wickets for only 83 runs. Don Maxwell and Sunil Dhaniram began the fightback but, when the score reached 110, Maxwell was forced to retire with back spasms. However, he had already made 58 runs and showed signs of completely demolishing the bowling. Dhaniram and Nicholas Ifill kept the attack going until the former was trapped leg-before by Bovell. Dhaniram had scored at a strike rate of 97.3. George Codrington failed to score but Umar Bhatti gave Ifill good support until he was run out. Maxwell returned and continued his onslaught first with Ifill, who was dismissed for 83, which contained ten fours and was made at a strike rate of 70.3, and then with more dogged support from Kevin Sandher. Maxwell attained his maiden first-class century and went on to 114, made at a strike rate of 71.6. Immediately he was dismissed, the Canadian captain declared, leaving the Cayman Islands to survive three overs before close of play during which time they lost Ainsley Hall. Early on the second morning, Umar Bhatti picked up his second wicket by bowling Steve Gordon, after which the day belonged to Henry Osinde. In a display of hostile pace bowling to which the Cayman batsmen had no answer, he took seven wickets, obtaining, on average, a victim every 12.5 balls. Unfortunately, his effort was not always well controlled and he conceded seven wides and three no-balls. Ryan Bovell survived for over two hours for his 44 and received sufficient support from Franklyn Hinds, Abali Hoilett and Ryan Ebanks to produce a minor recovery from 41 for four to 159 all out. Pubudu Dassanayake decided not to enforce the follow on despite a lead of 181 runs. Batting again, Canada lost both openers to Hinds before Qaiser Ali and Ashish Bagai went for quick runs, adding 72 in 78 minutes. With the dismissal of Bagai, Qaiser Ali took command and, despite losing three partners, took the score to 151, a lead of 332 which Dassanayake thought was sufficient to declare. Qaiser Ali made 44% of his team’s second-innings total, at a strike rate of 63.2, in just over two and three-quarter hours. Gordon and Hall seemed untroubled by the pace of Umar Bhatti and Osinde second time round and moved to 38 in 45 minutes. The Canadians turned to the spin of Sandher and Qaiser Ali and were immediately successful, the latter bowling Gordon to leave the Caymans on 38 for 1 at the close. The Caymans gave their most disciplined display of batting on the third day with Hall, Marc Chin, Ronald Ebanks, Pearson Best, Bovell and Hinds all getting into double figures and all surviving for at least half an hour. With the ball now turning slowly off the pitch, Canada relied on the left-arm spin of Dhaniram and Sandher for their wickets which came at regular intervals. Only Best was able to convert his good start into a half-century, an attractive innings with five fours and one six at a strike rate of 73.6. By mid-afternoon the Caymans had got to 174 for five and were putting up impressive resistance but it was not to last. The tail found Dhaniram and Umar Bhatti too much to handle and, just before tea, the innings ended on 212, giving the home team an easy victory. Henry Osinde was named Man of the Match for his seven wickets for 53 in the Cayman’s first innings, which was instrumental in placing Canada in a dominant position. 72 ICC Intercontinental Cup 2005