HOST Barbados and their guests Guyana were locked in battle for full points at the end of the penultimate day’ action in their second round West Indies Cricket Board organized Regional 4Day encounter at the Kensington Oval yesterday.
Scores to date: Barbados 367 and 235 for 7 declared, Guyana 225 and 94 for 1.
Barbados resumed their second innings on 0/0 and thanks to Rashidi Boucher’s

highest first class score of 81, coupled with Roston Chase’ 49, declared their second innings close at 235 for 7, with Steven Jacobs taking 2 for 49. Guyana who need 378 to record a come from behind win, wiped off 94 of those runs, with Rajendra Chandrika 40 and Leon Johnson 39 being their not out batsmen.
Chandrika and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (09, 2×4) started positively in search of their team’s target, adding 17 from 2.1 overs, with both batsmen taking boundaries off Christopher Jordan and Miguel Cummins, before the latter was unfortunately adjudged lbw to Jordan.
Leon Johnson joined Chandrika and was given a life by substitute Kevin Stoute at point off Cummins when on 2 at 30 for 1, to which he said thanks by hitting Jordan for back to back boundaries, bringing up his team’s 50 from 10.2 overs with the second four.
To rub more salt into the wound, a short delivery from Jordan later in the over, was dispatched savagely by  Johnson over midwicket for six, before the left handed batsman got two more fours and one six struck over the head of Ashley Nurse.
Chandrika joined the boundary hitting act by steering Javon Searles past a diving Roston Chase at point just before the close of play, which came with Guyana needing to score 284 with nine wickets in hand on the final day today.
Earlier yesterday, Boucher and Kraigg Brathwaite added 55 within the first hour, with Brathwaite who batted for 51 minutes, facing 35 deliveries and hitting four fours in his 27, hitting Jacobs for back to back fours, before the dreadlocked off spinner made a double strike for the Guyanese.
Brathwaite was caught by wicketkeeper Derwin Christian who repeated the act off the next delivery to account for Barbados’ first innings century maker and skipper Kirk Edwards (00), leaving Boucher who had hit Veerasammy Permaul back over his head for six, on 27.
Kyle Hope (05) lobbed Permaul to Jacobs at mid on and at lunch, before the 23 year old Boucher posted his second first class half century in his seventh game, by turning Permaul to fine leg for his sixth four which went along with the six struck off Permaul, facing 106 deliveries and batting for 131 minutes.
The home team who enjoyed a handsome first innings lead of 142 runs at the start of the day’s action yesterday, lost the wicket of Jonathan Carter, who was bowled off the final delivery before lunch by Ronsford Beaton (1-38) for 25, after adding 51 with Boucher who was on 58 while Barbados took the break at 117 for 4.
After lunch, Guyana removed Boucher who was lbw to Keon Joseph at 162 for 5, with the Barbadian hitting seven fours and three sixes while batting for 207 minutes and facing 161 deliveries as the visitors who employed a pace/spin combination throughout the day, kept a tight rein on things.
Johnson held a low catch at solitary slip to account for Shane Dowrich (24, 2×4) off Devendra Bishoo at 207 for 6 and at tea, Barbados declared their second innings close on 210 for 6 with Chase on 36 and Jordan 01.
Barbados batted for 28 minutes after tea, losing the wicket of Chase who was caught by Beaton off Zaheer Mohammed-Shadir for 49 (107balls, 3×4)before Edwards made the declaration, leaving Jordan unbeaten on 13,while there was a wicket each for Bishoo, Joseph, Permaul, Beaton and Mohammed Shadir, in support to Jacobs.
Meanwhile, Johnson took over the captaincy of the team following Permaul’s exit just before tea, as the left arm spinner made his way to the West Indies camp in preparation for the Zimbabwe tour and was replaced by Mohammed-Shadir.

Scorecard
BARBADOS 1st Innings 367
Guyana 1st Innings 225
Barbados 2nd Innings

K. Brathwaite c wkpr Christian b Jacobs 27
R. Boucher lbw Joseph 81
K. Edwards c wkpr Christian b Jacobs 00
K. Hope c Jacobs b Permaul 05
J. Carter b Beaton 25
R. Chase c Beaton b Shadir 49
S. Dowrich c Johnson b Bishoo 24
C. Jordan not out 13
Extras (lb1, b7, w3) 11
Total (for 7 wickets off 71.5 overs) 235
Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-55, 3-66, 4-117, 5-162, 6-207, 7-235
To bat: A. Nurse, J. Searles, M. Cummins.
Bowling: Permaul 20-4-43-1, Joseph 10-1-39-1, Beaton 10-0-38-1(w3), Jacobs 17-2-49-2, Bishoo 13-1-54-1, Mohammed-Shadir 1.5-0-4-1

Guyana 2nd innings (Target 368)
R. Chandrika not out 40
T. Chanderpaul lbw Jordan 09
L. Johnson not out 39
Extras (2b, 1lb, 3nb) 06
Total (for 1 wicket off 23 overs) 94
Fall of wickets: 1-17,
To bat: A. Fudadin, S. Jacobs, C. Barnwell, D. Christian, D. Bishoo, Z. Mohammed, R. Beaton, K. Joseph
Bowling: Jordan 8-1-36-1 (nb1), Cummins 5-0-30-0 (nb2), Nurse 6-3-17-0, Searles 3-1-8-0, Chase 1-1-0-0

Position: Guyana need 283 more runs with nine second innings wickets standing