Barbados were sitting pretty after the first day of their fifth round clash of the West Indies Cricket Board regional four-day tournament against Guyana at the Albion Community Development Centre ground yesterday.
The Barbados batsmen made good use of a bowling attack that lacked penetration on a flat batting wicket that offered some invariable bounce and while left-arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul got some turn earlier on, the fast bowlers had to dig deep for some extra pace with all rounder Christopher Barnwell leading on the wickets table 2-72 from his 15 overs.
After manipulating the workings of the pitch, coupled with vigilant and astute stroke play from the dismissed batsmen, who all got starts, Barbados at stumps were comfortably placed on 326 for five from 93 overs.
Three of their batsmen recorded half centuries including their captain Ryan Hinds who top scored with 76 and chalked up his 32nd first class half-century.
In front of a sparse crowd Hinds got valuable support from left-hander Jason Haynes (69) when the two featured in a 126-run third wicket partnership. Dale Richards, in a 79-run opening stand with West Indies under-19 batsman Kraigg Braithwaite (33), stroked a pugnacious run-a-ball 55 while number five batsman Kirk Edwards contributed 44 as the Guyana bowlers toiled in tremendous heat under clear blue skies.
After Barbados won the toss and elected to bat Richards’ aggressive hitting and Braithwaite’s working of the ball to pick up singles and the occasional boundary set the tone for the rest of the Barbados innings. Richards dealt in boundaries (8×4, 2×6) in his 63-minute vigil at the crease before he was brilliantly caught by Brandon Bess in the long off region after he sprinted from the mid off position in 15th over of the day off the bowling of Barnwell.
Braithwaite exhibited his class once again as an accumulator of runs before off spinner Zaheer Mohammed, who bowled with variety and flight on his return to first class cricket, halted his 108-minute and 59-ball stint at the wicket as he gave a catch to Devendra Bishoo. He hit five fours including a sweetly timed straight drive off Bess.
Subsequently, left handed Hinds and Haynes regrouped and continued the work of their opening partners. The two never seemed in any hurry and were content with picking up the singles whenever they came especially since Permaul and Mohammed especially troubled the batsmen.
Eventually the two eased their team to lunch on 113-2. After the luncheon period, Hinds shifted gear by playing some classical cover drives before hoisting off spinner Royston Crandon for six back over his head. Haynes followed suit with a lift over wide long on shortly after.
Hinds brought up his half century with a savage pull off pacer Bess after facing 98 balls and hitting nine fours and a six. Haynes took 120 balls, four fours and a six to reach his milestone. However, four boundaries later Barnwell got the prized wicket of Hinds who flashed at a wide delivery and was caught at a wide third slip position by Royston Crandon to close his 119-minute account at the crease.
Haynes kept working and piecing the innings together with Edwards, who started positively, but leg spinner Bishoo, who was given the ball after 43 overs, removed the set Haynes for, 69.he batted for 186 minutes.
Some life was added to proceedings when debutant and West Indies under-19 wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich was given a hostile baptism to first class cricket from Bess. He was greeted with some well directed short balls from the tall fast bowler who worked up more pace in the afternoon session.
He got a delivery to knit back off the seam and had Edwards trapped lbw for 44 from 79 balls four of which were boundaries. Barbados were at that time on 319-5 and Dowrich and Kevin Stoute saw their team to the end of the day on five and 36 not out respectively.
