Leewards denied victory by gutsy Bajans

Leewards failed to bowl Barbados out for a second time, after they set them a victory target of 224 on the fourth and final day in the first round match at Kensington Park.

The Barbadians never really got going, and had to battle hard to save the match, after losing crucial top-order wickets against tight bowling from their opponents, and finished on 158 for seven when play ended 12.3 overs early.

Kevin Stoute led the way with 34, Shamarh Brooks scored 31, and Ryan Hinds, the Barbados captain, made 20.

Lionel Baker, Anthony Martin, and Justin Athanaze all ended with two wickets.

The result meant that the Leewards gained six points from taking a first innings lead of seven runs, and Barbados earned just three points.

Leewards meet early joint-leaders Jamaica in the second round at Warner Park in St. Kitts, at the same time Barbados face the Combined Campuses & Colleges – the other early joint-leaders – at Grove Park in Nevis.

Pedro Collins had finished with five wickets for 36 runs from 21 overs, and Hinds ended with five for 59 from 39.5 overs, as Barbados bowled Leewards out for 216 in their second innings inside the first hour of the day.

Runako Morton was the Leewards’ top-scorer with 89.

Lionel Baker then made an early breakthrough in the Barbados run chase, when he had Dale Richards caught at mid- on for a duck.

Left hander Jason Haynes was adjudged lbw to Anthony Martin about 10 minutes before lunch, when he tried to slog through the on-side.

Kirk Edwards and left-hander Hinds then carried Barbados to 40 for two at the interval.

After the interval, Edwards was caught behind for 19 off Martin before Baker had Hinds fall in similar fashion to leave Barbados wobbling on 74 for four.

Leewards really had Barbados on the back-foot, when Omari Banks bowled Kyle Hope for 19.

The Barbadians reached 102 for five at tea, and continued the hard work of trying to save the match.

Stoute temporarily threatened to kick-start a late chase, but when he was caught at long-on off Athanaze, Barbados decided that discretion was the best part of valour.

There was time for Athanaze to have wicketkeeper/batsman Patrick Browne bowled for two before Brooks and Nikolai Charles held on until they accepted the umpires’ offer of bad light.

Earlier, Leewards struggled to counter the Barbados attack, after they resumed from their overnight total of 186 for six.

After Morton and Athanaze frustrated the Barbadians for close to half-hour, the Leewards lost their last four wickets for seven runs.

Scoreboard

LEEWARDS 1st Innings 236
BARBADOS 1st Innings 229
LEEWARDS 2nd Innings
(overnight 20 without loss)

K. Powell b Collins                                                                                            12
M. Hodge c wkpr Browne b Collins                                                            55
R. Morton c Hinds b Collins                                                                          89
T. Willett c wkpr Browne b Collins                                                               7
*S. Liburd lbw b Hinds                                                                                      7
O. Banks b Hinds                                                                                                  3
+D. Thomas b Hinds                                                                                          0
J. Athanaze c Roach b Hinds                                                                        18
G. Tonge c wkpr Browne b Collins                                                                2
L. Baker not out                                                                                                   2
A. Martin lbw b Hinds                                                                                       0
Extras (b5, lb9, nb7)                                                                                       21
TOTAL (all out, 115.5 overs)                                                                      216
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-138, 3-164, 4-173, 5-179, 6-181, 7-209, 8-214, 9-215
Bowling: Collins 21-5-36-5, Roach 12-2-22-0, Hinds 39.5-12-59-5, Stoute 25-11-34-0, Charles 16-5-41-0, Brooks 2-0-10-0

BARBADOS 2nd Innings (target: 224 runs)
D. Richards c Powell b Baker                                                                       0
J. Haynes lbw b Martin                                                                                18
K. Edwards c wkpr Thomas b Martin                                                     19
*R. Hinds c wkpr Thomas b Baker                                                          20
K. Hope b Banks                                                                                              19
K. Stoute c Baker b Athanaze                                                                    34
S. Brooks not out                                                                                            31
+P. Browne b Athanaze                                                                                 2
N. Charles not out                                                                                            4
Extras (b8, lb1, nb2)                                                                                     11
TOTAL (7 wkts, 84.3 overs)                                                                    158
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-39, 3-50, 4-74, 5-102, 6-135, 7-149
Bowling: Baker 11-3-18-2, Tonge 6-1-26-0, Martin 37-17-37-2, Athanaze 27-8-40-2, Banks 3-0-27-1, Willett 0.3-0-1-0
Result: Match drawn
Points: Leewards 6, Barbados 3
Umpires: L Thompson, V Johnson.