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Bacchus Buoys Up US

Charles Randall

25 March 1997


FAOUD BACCHUS pulled off both wrist bands at the end of his innings yesterday and wrung out enough sweat to fill a teacup. He had been batting for just over an hour.

It was a debilitating, humid day, but all ended well for Bacchus's United States side as they won their opening ICC Trophy group game against Singapore by 106 runs at the PKNS Kelana Java ground on the city outskirts.

Events seemed to prove that the former West Indies batsman, the only Test player in this tournament, had not lost his enthusiasm at the age of 43, whether in Orlando, where he has lived for 10 years, or Malaysia.

One can imagine the former shrimp boat owner still in charge of the United States at the next ICC Trophy, especially if a push to host the event on the turf pitches of Los Angeles proves successful.

Yesterday breakfast was at around 6am and departure before sunrise for a 45- minute coach journey with a police outrider, who cleared a path through the rush-hour traffic. Without him it took twice as long returning in the evening - the product of the roadworks countdown to next year's Commonwealth Games.

At PKNS groundsmen were sweeping silt debris off the Bermuda grass from the previous night's flooding while the States were loosening up for the 9.30am start with coach Roger Harper, another West Indies player.

By the time the whistle of the mynah birds had died down and a brutal sun had cut through the haze, Bacchus, with 36, and the left-handed Derek Kallicharran (60 not out) had begun to lift a sagging American innings towards 229 for eight off 50 overs.

Kallicharran, with rimmed spectacles and moustache, could recall playing only one game for Guyana in the same side as his better-known brother Alvin, 10 years his senior. The dance-and-nudge similarity in batting style was striking.

Singapore's reply proved, as expected, utterly inadequate, but the Americans - who are nearly all West Indian and Asian immigrants - were blighted by 30 wides.

* ALAN LEWIS batted through 50 overs to make 127 not out and secure a 192-run win for Ireland in their opening Group A match against Gibraltar.

Lewis hit seven boundaries, including three sixes, in a best-of-the-day 278 for two, to record the highest score by an Ireland player in a one-day international.


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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 19:02