Claydon takes career-best haul in tour opener

Mitch Claydon grabbed his maiden one-day five-wicket haul as Kent lost to West Indies four-day champions Guyana in the opening match of the FGS Plant Tour in Antigua.

Teenager batsman Zak Crawley hit his maiden one-day half-century as Kent started their reply in style.

The 19-year-old shared patient 50 partnerships with Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson in just his second List A appearance before a middle-order collapse led to a 35-run defeat at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Earlier, stand-in skipper Will Gidman won the toss and invited the West Indies four-day champions to bat first.

Claydon took the new ball with Ivan Thomas and restricted scoring in the early overs before Thomas trapped West Indies left-hander Hetmeyer LBW with the last ball of the sixth over.

The floodgates then open as Claydon got rewards twice in the seventh over: the big Australian pouched a fine return catch to remove Chanderpaul Hermaj before dismissing the Jaguars’ captain Leon Johnson, another international, caught by Zak Crawley at gully three balls later.

Guyana rebuilt through the evergreen 43-year-old Shiv Chanderpaul who added a watchful 56 for the fourth wicket with Raymon Reifer, who was trapped LBW by Gidman.

The all-rounder, deputising for an unwell Joe Denly, rotated the bowlers to great effect as the tourists frustrated Guyana and bowled wicket-to-wicket to claim 2/37 in eight overs.

At 89-4, Chanderpaul’s vigil provided the anchor for a counter-attack and Anthony Bramble’s brisk 39 off 34 balls gave the Guyana innings momentum.

Bramble targeted the spin of Imran Qayyum and James Tredwell in the middle overs before Calum Haggett trapped him LBW.

Chanderpaul eventually succumbed in similar fashion to Will Gidman for 67 off 97 balls.

Thomas returned to remove Keemo Paul, caught behind superbly by Adam Rouse off a bouncer, before some late hitting by Shafane Rutherford (24) and Romario Shepherd (29) boosted the Jaguars’ total.

Claydon wrapped up the resistance with a wicket in each of his final three overs to claim a career-best 5/31 in 9.1 overs.

After a fine start to the reply led by Zak Crawley, both his partners got starts before falling to slow left-armer Veerasammy Permaul.

Crawley eventually departed for 60, bowled by West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo to trigger a middle-order collapse.

Rouse was run out first ball before Bishoo dismissed Alex Blake LBW and Will Gidman caught-and-bowled as batsmen struggled to judge the slow surface.

James Tredwell and Imran Qayyum fell to Permaul’s final spell who returned 4/46 on the way to a 35-run sealed by Romario Shepherd who removed Calum Haggett and Ivan Thomas.