PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite produced another masterful innings that culminated in an unbeaten hundred, as he pulled Barbados Pride out of trouble against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, on the opening day of the first round of matches in the historic WICB Professional Cricket League yesterday.

The right-hander hit an unbeaten 115, his ninth first class hundred, as Barbados clawed their way back from 85 for four just after lunch, to finish the day on 209 for four at Queen’s Park Oval.
Sent in, Barbados were rocked by a superb spell of fast bowling from Marlon Richards who claimed the first three wickets to fall to reduce Barbados to 44 for three.
The right armer finished the day with three for 34.
Brathwaite’s knock then became part a rescue mission, as he put his head down to play a true captain’s role. In his now typical unflappable style, the 21-year-old repelled the T&T attack to haul Barbados back into the contest.
He faced 256 balls in just over five hours at the crease and struck nine fours, to frustrate the T&T outfit.
He has so far shared a crucial unbroken fifth wicket stand of 115 with wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich who was unbeaten on exactly 50 at the close.
Dowrich was a last minute replacement for the ill Shai Hope.
T&T struck in the eighth over the day when left-hander Omar Phillips was caught behind by Denesh Ramdin for nine off Richards with the score on 22.
The aggressive Dwayne Smith struck two fours in ten but lasted just under half-hour when he too fell to the combination of Ramdin and Richards, to leave Barbados on 40 for three.
And T&T were sent into wild celebration in Richards’ next over with just four runs added when left-hander Jonathan Carter departed without scoring, also caught at the wicket off Richards.
Roston Chase arrived to join Brathwaite and they stemmed the fall of wickets with a solid 45-run stand which carried Barbados to lunch at 85 for three. At this stage Brathwaite was unbeaten on 41 and Chase, 24.
However, immediately after the break, Chase succumbed, lbw to pacer Shannon Gabriel in the first over on resumption. He faced 36 balls in 43 minutes at the crease and struck two fours.
Any hopes that T&T had of running through the remainder of the innings were quickly dashed as Brathwaite and Dowrich combined in the century stand to deny their opponents any further success. Navigating a near 40-minute break for rain, the duo were unfazed, and Brathwaite pushed on to complete his 25th first class half-century.
Dowrich, too, remained entrenched and has so faced 161 balls in just over three hours at the crease, and has struck five fours.

BARBADOS 1st Innings
*K Brathwaite not out 115
O Phillips c wkp Ramdin b Richards 9
D Smith c wkp Ramdin b Richards 10
J Carter c wkp Ramdin b Richards 0
R Chase lbw b Gabriel 24
+S Dowrich not out 50
Extras (b1) 1
TOTAL (4 wkts, 82 overs) 209
To bat: C Brathwaite, J Holder, A Nurse, K Roach, J Warrican.
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-36, 3-40, 4-85.
Bowling: Gabriel 14-3-33-1, Richards 14-5-34-3, Emrit 9-1-24-0, Hosein 18-5-40-0, Khan 12-2-40-0, Mohammed 6-2-17-0, Ottley 4-0-7-0, Cariah 5-0-13-0.
T&T – Rayad Emrit (captain), Yannic Cariah, Shannon Gabriel, Akeal Hosein, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Yannick Ottley, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Richards, Lendl Simmons.