WEST Indies ‘A’ spin pair of Devendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul exposed Barbados’ weakness to spin bowling in the dying stages of the second day’s play of their West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) fourth round Regional four-day match at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.
Replying to Guyana’s 330 all out – the first time the team from the Land of Many Waters have passed the 300-mark this season – Barbados closed the day in a shaky position at 88-5 with teenage batting sensation Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase unbeaten on 31 and 4 respectively, while Bishoo and Permaul have so far taken 3-15 and 2-23 respectively.
Dale Richards (26) and Brathwaite started positive, with Richards hitting Christopher Barnwell for back-to-back fours in the third over of his team’s innings, while West Indies fast bowler Brandon Bess who shared the new ball with Barnwell, was struck for a four by Richards.
Brathwaite showed the Guyanese on the field and the handful in the Red stand, how he achieved 51 centuries to date, when he struck Bess for a hat-trick of fours off successive balls in the eighth over of the innings, prompting Guyana’s skipper Assad Fudadin to call on his spinners, starting with Royston Crandon.
It was Permaul who got the breakthrough, when Richards, who made 24 off 38 balls with five fours and 55 minutes of batting, was adjudged lbw immediately after posting his team’s 50 from 11.5 overs.
Kyle Hope (20) joined Brathwaite and after a cautious start, struck Devendra Bishoo for four to long off before he was caught by Crandon at short mid-off, when he looked to force Bishoo over that position after hitting three fours. He was quickly joined by Jason Holder who failed to trouble the scorers, in the comfort of the pavilion.
Bishoo caused more trouble for the Bajans, when he removed both Ryan Hinds and Kevin Stoute, to place Guyana in the driver’s seat at the close of play.
Earlier, Guyana resumed on their overnight score of 176-4 with Fudadin on 77 and Crandon (who made five), yet to score and lost Crandon who was caught at the wicket by Dowrich off left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins (4-76) after adding 19 runs for the fourth wicket with Fudadin who was dismissed in the next over.
Barbados then got the prized wicket of Fudadin, who for the eighth time failed to convert a half-century into a century, when he flashed at one from Kevin Stoute and was caught by Jason Holder at gully, after adding seven to his overnight score.
All told, Fudadin faced 229 balls hitting five fours and two sixes while batting for 317 minutes for his 84 and at his demise, Guyana were 196-5, with Vishal Singh and recalled all-rounder Barnwell at the wicket.
After posting 200 from 77.2 overs, Barnwell drove Stoute through extra cover with authority for four and at lunch, Guyana were 241-5 with Barnwell on 23 that was decorated with four fours and Vishal Singh 17, without any boundaries.
After lunch, Barbados got rid of Barnwell who was caught by Richards at slip off Ryan Hinds for 24 made off 68 balls and 95 minutes of batting with four fours while he added 51 with Vishal Singh for the sixth wicket from 22.4 overs.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Derwin Christian joined Vishal Singh who was on 22 at Barnwell’s dismissal and they set about repairing the damage by adding 38 runs in the first hour after lunch, with Vishal Singh whose previous best was 34, made on debut against the same opponents at the same venue two years ago, on 41 and Christian 11.
Vishal Singh got his first half-century at this level, when he turned Collins through forward square for two, facing 144 deliveries and hitting two fours. He batted for 180 minutes and in the process, he posted 50 runs for the seventh wicket with Christian who was on 15.
Christian displayed his ability to hit boundaries when he struck Holder for two fours in the 119th over that took Guyana to 307-6, with the first four that was struck off the second ball of the over raising Guyana’s 300 for the first time this season.
The 22-year-old Singh celebrated his personal landmark in style, with two sweetly timed fours off Collins, before Christian gifted his wicket away, as he was caught by Richards at slip off Hinds in the penultimate over before tea. Guyana were 328-7.
Christian made 27 from 67 balls hitting three fours, adding 81 for the seventh wicket with Vishal Singh who was lbw to Collins in the final over before tea for 66 scored off 164 balls with five fours at tea, Guyana were 328-8.
Having added 87 runs in the post-lunch session for the loss of three wickets, Guyana lost Veerasammy Permaul to Edwards’ third delivery of the second over after tea and when Collins knocked back Bishoo’s off stump, Guyana were dismissed for 330 in the 128th over, 15 minutes after play resumed from tea break.

SCORECARD

GUYANA first innings (o/n 176-3)
A. Fudadin c Holder b Stoute    84
L. Johnson c Braithwaite b Layne    51
G. Singh b Edwards    19
R. Crandon c Dowrich b Collins    5
V. Singh lbw Collins    66
C. Barnwell c Richards b Hinds    24
D. Christian c Richards b Hinds    27
V. Permaul lbw Edwards    0
D. Bishoo b Collins    0
B. Bess not out    2
Extras: (b-4, lb-5, w-5, nb-24)    38
Total: (allout, 127.1 overs)    330
Fall of wicket: 1-30, 2-133, 3-175, 4-194, 5-196, 6-247, 7-328, 8-328, 9-328.
Bowling: Collins 21.1-3-76-4 (nb-3), Edwards 24-9-57-2 (nb-9), Hinds 17-3-40-2 (nb-2), Holder 17-9-28-0 (nb-2, w-4), Stoute 20-1-47-1 (nb-7, w-1), Layne 16-2-50-1 (nb-1), Chase 11-4-22-0.

BARBADOS first innings
D. Richards lbw Permaul    26
K. Brathwaite not out    31
K. Hope c Crandon b Bishoo    20
J. Holder c V. Singh b Permaul    0
R. Hinds b Bishoo    4
K. Stoute c Johnson b Bishoo    0
R. Chase not out    4
Extras: (w-3)    3
Total: (for 5 wickets, 31 overs)    88
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-75, 3-75, 4-84, 5-84.
Bowling: Barnwell 4-0-21-0 (w-3), Bess 5-1-22-0, Crandon 5-3-6-0, Permaul 10-6-24-2, Bishoo 7-0-15-3.