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West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite gave a timely reminder of his ability with the bat yesterday as he steered the Barbados Pride to 243 for 2 on Day 2 of the West Indies Championship at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.
Barbados, the defending champions, were replying to Jamaica Scorpion’s first innings total of 328 all out. Brathwaite’s opposite number, Jamaica captain and opener John Campbell, led the way for the visitors with 127.
(Copyright Dan Mullan/ Getty Images for ECB)
Brathwaite presumably responded with ‘hold my beer’. At the close of play, the Barbados skipper had 137* (233 balls, 12 x 4), ably supported by Raymon Reifer (55 off 131, 8 x 4).
Reifer can be forgiven for coming out in a cape tomorrow. The 30-year-old allrounder took six of the seven Jamaican wickets to fall on the day as the hosts fought back. Barbados still trail Jamaica by 85 runs as the game enters Day 3.
At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, hosts Trinidad and Tobago continued to dominate the Windward Islands Volcanoes, skittling their guests for 98 and then enforcing the follow-on.
The Volcanoes were 32 for 3 at stumps and still 196 runs shy of the Red Force’s first innings total of 326.
Red Force captain Imran Khan choked Jamaica with spin last week. This week, it was the turn of the pacers. Twenty-five-year-old pacer Anderson Phillip took four wickets in the first innings and already has two in the second to lead all bowlers in the regional four-day competition with 11 scalps—one more than 27-year-old St Vincent and the Grenadines spinner Kenneth Dember.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
Jayden Seales, 20, claimed four wickets across both innings to help the Red Force solidify the already strong position in which they had found themselves at the end of Day 1. The hosts still have a 196-run lead over the Volcanoes, who look destined for a second successive defeat after losing to Guyana by one wicket on the weekend.
Might lightning strike twice for the Guyana Harpy Eagles at the Queen’s Park Oval?
At stumps, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes were leading the Eagles by 250 runs with Terance Warde unbeaten on 46 (133b, 5 x 4). Once more, Antiguan batsman Devon Thomas was a fearsome presence for the Hurricanes. Yesterday, he helped himself to 72 (73b, 10 x 4, 1 x 6) before being caught by Gudakesh Motie off pacer Clinton Pestano.
In three innings, the 32-year-old Thomas has tallied one century and two half-centuries to lead all batsmen with a 242-run aggregate.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
Guyana need a batting performance to match. So far, their most reliable batsman has been 33-year-old Vishaul Singh, who has one half-century and an aggregate of 125 runs in his three innings.
There couldn’t be a better time for two of Guyana’s more youthful top order of Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Shimron Hetmyer to put their hands up.
Match summaries
(At Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, Trinidad)
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force: 326 (116 overs) (Joshua Da Silva 73, Yannic Cariah 72, Jeremy Solozano 66, Terrance Hinds 57; Shermon Lewis 5/43, Larry Edward 1/51)
Windward Islands Volcanoes: 98 all out (44 overs) (Alick Athanaze 33, Devon Smith 16; Anderson Phillip 4/32, Jayden Seales 3/31, Imran Khan 2/3) & 32 for 3 (Devon Smith 12; Anderson Phillip 2/15, Jayden Seales 1/8)
Windward Islands trail by 196 runs
(via CWI Media)
(At Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados)
Jamaica Scorpions: 328 (95.4 overs) (John Campbell 127, Paul Palmer 76, Nkrumah Bonner 49; Raymon Reifer 6/23)
Barbados Pride: 243 for 2 (48 overs) (Kraigg Brathwaite 137*, Raymon Reifer 55*; Marquino Mindley 1/17, Patrick Harty 1/58)
Barbados trail by 85 runs
(At Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad)
Guyana Harpy Eagles: 116 all out (34.3 overs) (Anthony Bramble 38, Keemo Paul 20; Daniel Doram 3/16, Colin Archibald 3/29, Alzarri Joseph 2/26)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes: 366 for 5 (136 overs) (Kieran Powell 74, Devon Thomas 72, Montcin Hodge 71; Nial Smith 2/89, Gudakesh Motie 2/93)
Leewards lead by 250 runs
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
