2010 WICB President’s Cup …
(From Calvin Roberts at Albion Community Development Centre, courtesy of Regal Stationery and Computer Centre)  
SKIPPER Ryan Hinds (76) and Jason Haynes (69) had a third-wicket century partnership and, along with a half- century from Dale Richards (55), ensured Barbados ended the first day in a commanding position against hosts Guyana in their fifth round 2010 West Indies Cricket Board President’s Cup match at the Albion Community Development Centre ground yesterday.
Winning the toss and opting to take first strike in sunny conditions and a track that was conducive enough for batting, Barbados raced to 79 before they lost an innocuous-looking Richards for a pugnacious 55, but managed to reach 326-5 from 93 overs at the close of play.
The 33-year-old Richards, who played two Tests and averages 37.87 from 45 first class matches, started the innings with 17-year-old Kraigg Brathwaite and cut, pulled and drove with authority against the new ball attack of Brandon Bess and Christopher Barnwell.
Back-to-back fours off Barnwell, followed by an injudicious pull shot over backward square leg off Bess, displayed to the handful of spectators gathered how he accumulated 284 runs including a top score of 60 against the Leeward Islands so far in the competition.
He brought up his 22nd first class half-century with his second maximum struck off Veerasammy Permaul who was introduced in the eighth over of the innings, counting eight fours and two sixes from 43 deliveries and 45 minutes of batting.
A well-timed catch by Bess who ran back from deep mid off to long off accounted for Richards who was attempting to hit Barnwell for his third six, as Barbados lost their first wicket just inside the second hour of play.
Richards batted for 63 minutes and struck eight fours and two sixes in his run-a-ball 55, leaving a more sedate-looking Brathwaite who had come into his own with two drives for boundaries off Barnwell, on 23.
Haynes joined Brathwaite and they took the score to 107, with Haynes turning a short delivery from Barnwell to long leg for four to open his account, before a diving catch by Devendra Bishoo who was stationed at backward square leg, accounted for Brathwaite who made 33 from 59 balls with five fours during his 108 minutes sojourn at the wicket.
Hinds joined Haynes and they took the visitors, whose 100 was realised at the end of the 21st over of their innings, to 113-2 with Haynes on 20 inclusive of two fours and a big six by Hinds off Royston Crandon after lunch, signalled Barbados’ intentions to bat once in the fifth round contest.
Mohammed kept a tight rein on the Barbadian batsmen who found it difficult to read the right-arm spin of the Enterprise bowler, until another one of Bess’ misfields at long on gave Hinds a boundary, which was followed by another four off the next delivery through extra cover.
Haynes then emulated Hinds, when he struck Crandon who was preferred ahead of Devendra Bishoo after lunch, over long on for six, as Barbados moved to 143-2 midway through the post-lunch session, with Hinds on 19 and Haynes 32.
Belatedly, Bishoo was introduced into the attack, 42 minutes after lunch, and after a tight first over was struck down to long on by Hinds for four, Barbados reached the 150 mark in the 47th over of their innings.
Both batsmen continued to take the attack to the Guyanese bowlers who looked ordinary, scoring boundaries at will and fittingly they reached their half-centuries, with Haynes being the first to get his, hitting Bishoo through mid off for four, his eighth half-century from 29 first class matches, counting nine fours and one six from 98 deliveries.
Hinds followed suit with an inside out shout through the vacant midwicket position off Bess for four, his fourth boundary at that stage to go along with his lone maximum from 120 balls and celebrated reaching his 39th first class 50, with an injudicious shot through extra cover for four.
A head high catch by Royston Crandon off a slower delivery from Barnwell, did not only account for Hinds who made 79 from 118 deliveries with 13 fours and one six, but also formed a 126-run third-wicket partnership with Haynes who was on 64, five minutes before tea. At the interval, Barbados were 235-3 with Haynes on 66 and new batsman Kirk Edwards yet to score.
Guyana got the wicket of Haynes 25 minutes after the tea break, lbw to Bishoo for 69 made from 158 deliveries decorated with six fours and one six, at 245-4, leaving Edwards and Kevin Stoute who struck 186 against the same opponents in the 2009 tournament at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, to rebuild the innings as the home team took two wickets on either side of tea for 12 runs.
Permaul was re-introduced into the attack and was greeted by back-to-back fours from Kirk Edwards who was playing his 15th first class match through midwicket and wide extra cover respectively, while Stoute struck Bishoo over mid off for four.
Having survived a confident appeal for lbw in Bess’ previous over, Kirk Edwards did not find himself so fortunate in the next when he failed to negotiate a swinging delivery from the same bowler and was faced with the right index finger of umpire Norman Malcolm for 44.
Edwards faced 79 balls and struck four of them for four, but most importantly for Barbados, he added 74 runs for the fifth wicket with a solid-looking Stoute, who was joined by debutant wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich and together they took Barbados to 326-5 at the close, with Stoute on 36 (3×4) and Dowrich 5.
Barnwell has so far taken 2-77 from 15 overs for Guyana who made two changes to their team, that was forced to leave their original hotel on the eve of the match, due to an electrical fire scare, bringing in Shivnarine Chanderpaul for Vishal Singh and Gajanand Singh for Esaun Crandon.