BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Captain Jonathan Carter struck a magnificent career-best hundred as Barbados Pride defied the odds to pull off an exhilarating run chase and upset Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by four wickets here Sunday.

Resuming the final day at Kensington Oval on 15 without loss in pursuit of 324 for victory, Pride recovered from a disastrous first session to reach their target late in the evening and notch their third win of the Regional Four-Day season.

The left-handed Carter was at the heart of the Pride success, stroking an unbeaten 149, and it was he who hit the winning runs when he smashed off-spinner Bryan Charles over long off for his fourth six.

He also lashed 14 fours in an innings which spanned 185 balls in just over 4-½ hours at the crease, and marked his fifth first class hundred and his side’s first of the season.

Carter received excellent support from 21-year-old all-rounder Shamar Springer who struck a mature 66 in only his fourth first class game while wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott again impressed with an unbeaten 48, to follow up his first inning half-century.

Left-arm seamer Daniel St Clair finished with two for 59 but Red Force’s spin trip of leg-spinners Imran Khan and Yannic Cariah, along with Charles, all proved ineffective.

In fact, curiously, Cariah sent down only seven overs, despite his five-wicket haul in the Pride first innings.

Starting the day with the odds in their favour, Red Force quickly made inroads as they removed both openers inside the first hour with 24 runs on the board.

Left-hander Shayne Moseley edged St Clair to Jeremy Solozano at first slip to fall for six while Rashidi Boucher nicked one from ex-Test pacer Ravi Rampaul to second slip for 15.

Arriving at the crease at 10:37 am, Carter immediately displayed his intent as he put on 29 for the third wicket with Aaron Jones (11), 28 for the fourth wicket with Kevin Stoute (11) and a further 23 for the fifth with Nicholas Kirton (11).

However, he lost partners steadily, leaving Pride tottering on 104 for five at lunch. Jones missed a drive at Charles and was bowled, Stoute drove Imran Khan to be caught at cover and Kirton tapped a return catch to Cariah on the stroke of lunch.

However, Carter kept his nerves and more importantly, found two willing partners with whom he shared invaluable partnerships. First, he added 128 for the sixth wicket with Springer who struck five fours and a couple of sixes in a knock spanning 105 balls and 127 minutes.

Together, they kept Red Force without success in the second session, steering Pride to 229 for five at tea, with Carter reaching triple figures about 25 minutes before the break.

Springer, however, fell in the second over following the resumption, lbw to St Clair but Walcott arrived to add a further 94 in an unbroken seventh stand with Carter.

Walcott’s knock was a breezy one, requiring just 56 deliveries and including seven fours and his resistance killed off any hopes Red Force had of any late comeback.

RED FORCE 1st Innings 358
Pride 1st Innings 282
Red Force 2nd Innings 247-6 decl.
Pride 2nd Innings (target: 324 runs)
(overnight 15 without loss)
S Moseley c Solozano b St Clair 6
R Boucher c Da Silva b Rampaul 15
A Jones b Charles 11
*J Carter not out 149
K Stoute c DaSilva b Imran Khan 11
N Kirton c & b Cariah 12
S Springer lbw b St Clair 66
+T Walcott not out 48
Extras (lb2, nb6) 8
TOTAL (6 wkts, 81.2 overs) 326
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-24, 3-53, 4-81, 5-104, 6-232.
Bowling: Rampaul 16-3-43-1, Imran Khan 22-1-90-1, St Clair 13-1-59-1, Charles 18.2-3-70-1, Cariah 7-1-30-1, Phillip 4-1-28-0, Mohammed 1-0-4-0.
Man-of-the-Match: Jonathan Carter.