By Samuel Peters
Leeward Islands Hurricanes run machine Mikyle Louis slammed an even hundred in Wednesday’s encounter against the Windward Islands Volcanoes, showcasing his hunger for runs in the West Indies Championship at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.
The opening batsman has now scored four consecutive 50-plus scores demonstrating his consistency, and became the first batsman in the region to reach 600 runs this season with three centuries and four fifties.
He had to see off an excellent opening spell from the Windward Islands Volcanoes fast bowlers, Ryan John (3-67) and Gilon Tyson (2-33), who bowled with pace and great control. They reduced the Hurricanes to 18 for three by the seventh over, but Jahmar Hamilton (34) came to the crease and the two added 78 for the fourth wicket before the wicketkeeper batsman was unceremoniously run out, taking a quick single with the score 96 for four.
They then brought in 17-year-old batsman Jewel Andrew to middle, whose rich vein of form continued as he blasted 68. The two youngsters put on 108 for the fifth wicket partnership; one in which both achieved personal milestones with Louis scoring his third ton of the season and Andrew scoring his third fifty.
Both players are playing in their debut season and have shown their ability to grind it out doing the hard work when needed.
However, the very next ball Louis received saw him adjudged leg before wicket and a steady flow of wickets came soon after. Andrew followed not too long after but Jeremiah Louis who is no slouch with the bat stroked a useful 43 to help propel the Hurricanes to 300 all out.
Leg spinner Daryl Cyrus picked up two wickets for 70 runs, while Shamar Springer and Kavem Hodge had one wicket apiece.
With one over left in the day’s play, Jeremiah came back with the ball and bowled an untidy and unfinished over that contained two no balls but came up with the goods to remove Jeremy Solozano with a peach of a delivery; an outswinger that drew a loose shot from the batter resulting in a catch to first slip, a position in which Kieran Powell was happily waiting to gobble up the catch.
The fall of that wicket saw the match come to a close on day one with one ball left in the over.
The Volcanoes are leading the standings with 90 points, with Barbados Pride on 87.6 points, Guyana on 87.2 and the Hurricanes on 84.6 points.