Three batsmen record half-centuries as Barbados end first day on 227-5
(In Barbados, compliments of Universal DVD, Kares Engineering and Giftland OfficeMax)
OPENERS Omar Phillips and Kraigg Brathwaite, along with middle-order batsman Jonathan Carter, struck half-centuries as Barbados ended the first day of their fifth round West Indies Cricket Board’s Regional 4-Day match against Guyana on a high at the Kensington Oval yesterday. Phillips and Brathwaite made 52 and 62 respectively, while Carter is unbeaten on 50 (104b, 169 minutes, 5×4) as the home team who were asked to take first strike reached 82 without loss at lunch and 158 for 3 at tea, before ending the day on 227 for 5 against Veerasammy Permaul’s 2 for 50 and Brandon Bess’ 2 for 26.
Having observed a minute’s silence for the late Runako Morton, Brathwaite got things started for Barbados – whose entire selection panel re-assigned minutes before the first ball was bowled – by turning a full-pitch delivery from Bess to long leg for four, while Phillips eased Ronsford Beaton through cover point for two of his six fours that were struck before lunch.
Brathwaite welcomed Narsingh Deonarine into the attack as he turned his second delivery off his legs for another four through backward square, and Barbados reached 47 without loss after the first hour’s play with Brathwaite on 16 and Phillips 29.
The home team’s 50 was posted from 15.2 overs, after Brathwaite pulled a short delivery from Permaul to wide long on for his second of three fours that were struck before the luncheon break, as the Guyanese bowling attack lacked penetration during that session.
Phillips reached his third half-century of this year’s tournament after lunch, batting for 135 minutes. He faced 110 deliveries and hit six fours, as Barbados moved to 88 without loss with Brathwaite at the other end on 34.
Guyana got success six overs after lunch, when Assad Fudadin bowled Phillips for 52 (114 balls, 6×4 135 mins), ending a solid 92-run first-wicket partnership with Brathwaite, which took them 38 overs to compile.
A controversial Ryan Hinds replaced Phillips and opened his account by sweeping Deonarine to long leg for two, realising Barbados’ 100 from 41 overs in the process, with Brathwaite unbeaten on 45, before Christopher Barnwell grassed a head-high catch at mid off, when Hinds looked to hit Deonarine over that area.
The 19-year-old Brathwaite reached his half-century immediately after Hinds got his life, when he steered the 141st delivery he faced through point, hitting four fours while batting for 166 minutes in reaching the landmark and celebrated with another four through backward square-leg off Deonarine.
Two fours that were struck through the vacant midwicket area by Hinds off Fudadin pushed Barbados to 126 for 1 from 50 overs at the end of the first hour’s play after lunch, as Chanderpaul opted to use Fudadin’s military medium pace while Bess and Beaton were at his disposal.
Guyana removed Hinds who was caught by Deonarine at fine leg off Bess for 14 (2×4) and when Permaul removed Brathwaite via lbw for 62 (156 balls, 200 mins 5×4) Barbados slipped from the comfortable position of 130 for 1 to 130 for 3.
Two fours by the left-handed Jonathan Carter struck off Bess and Permaul eased the shackles a bit for Barbados, while Leon Johnson failed to hold a sharp chance from Barbados’ skipper Shamarh Brooks who was on 7, when he tried to steer Permaul to third man at 154 for 3 in the 59th over, 10 minutes before tea.
At tea, Barbados were 158 for 3, having scored 76 runs from the 31 overs bowled by Guyana in the session and losing three wickets, with Brooks on 10 and Carter 15, as the Guyanese pulled things back following a productive opening session for the home team.
Carter and Brooks added 57 for the fourth wicket before Permaul, who has been Guyana’s successful bowler in this year’s tournament having taken 22 wickets before this round, removed the latter by the lbw route for 19, as the visitors reduced the home team’s scoring after the lunch break.
Nevertheless, Carter got to his half-century from 103 balls and 149 minutes of batting, hitting five fours as he offered resilience to the Guyanese spin duo of Deonarine and Permaul who bowled unchanged for close to 90 minutes in the final session.
The 37-year-old Chanderpaul who is in his 21st season as a West Indian first class cricketer, took the new ball with three overs left in the day’s play and should have removed Kenroy Williams with the second delivery in the first over of the new ball, but he was given a life by Johnson at second slip off Beaton.
Barbados, who were locked on 24 points with Guyana at the start of the round, reached their eventual total at the end of the day, with Carter and Shane Dowrich (9) at the wicket, having lost Williams who was caught at the wicket off Bess for 14 in the penultimate over of the day.