Barbados pile up 326-5 against Guyana at Albion

Feb 13, 2010 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Berbice

Barbados reached 326-5 against Guyana on the opening day of their 5th round Regional 4-Day cricket match here yesterday after the visitors elected to bat first on a placid pitch and lightening fast but very rough Albion outfield.
The experienced Ryan Hinds fell 24 short of his 2nd century for the season while Test player Dale Richards (55) and the consistent Jason Haynes (69) also notched up half-centuries as the Bajans scored freely for most of the day against a Guyana bowling attack which again lacked ‘bite’ in ideal batting conditions.
Richards began like a house on fire and entertained the small crowd with an array of audacious shots to race to a run-a-ball 55 from 100 minutes with 8 fours and two sixes.
The attacking right-hander dominated a 79-run first wicket partnership with 17-year-old West Indies under-19 player Kraigg Braithwaite before he departed to a magnificent catch over his shoulder by Brendon Bess; running from mid-off to long-off. With the Bajans scoring at a rapid rate in sweltering heat, Chris Barnwell, asked to share the new ball with Bess after Esuan Crandon was left out of the starting X1, made the break-through.
Barnwell, in his 2nd match for the season, produced a slower ball which the ultra-aggressive Richards lofted ‘miles’ into the air for Bess to hold the well-judged catch.
Off-spinner Zaheer Mohamed, playing his first match for the season, looked the best of the Guyana spinners and flighted the ball nicely while producing encouraging turn on the first day pitch.
The Enterprise off-spinner, who has been working on his bowling which had gotten a bit defensive, removed Braithwaite. Braithwaite, the Caribbean side’s leading run-scorer in the youth World Cup in New Zealand, made 33 from 155 balls and 186 minutes of batting before Davendra Bishoo at square-leg held a brilliant catch to leave Barbados, who came into this game 3 points behind leaders Jamaica’s 36, on 107-2.
While the first two catches were both stupendous efforts, the overall fielding of the Guyanese was ragged but on many instances the unevenness of the ground which had huge bald areas around the Western and North Western boundaries, could have been an excuse for their tardy work.
By lunch Barbados, who beat the Windwards outright in their last game to keep their hopes of winning their 1st title since 2007 alive, had progressed to 113-2 with Jason Haynes, who scored both of his tons at this level against Guyana, on 20 and Hinds on three. After the interval, Hinds, who began this round only 6 runs behind top run-scorer Denesh Ramdin’s 340, punished anything pitched up and his extra covers drives, off especially Bess, were delightful.
Hinds, who made a century when these 2 teams last met at this level at Providence last year, added 123 for the 3rd wicket with Haynes, one of only 5 batsmen with over 300 runs this season before the left-handed Hinds edged Barnwell to 3rd slip to leave Barbados on 233-3 just before Tea. His 76 came from 118 balls, 119 minutes and was decorated with 13 fours and a six.
By Tea, Haynes was unbeaten on 66 and Kirk Edwards, another of the 5 batsmen with 300 runs this season, yet to score.
While Bishoo bowled much better than he did in Guyana’s fist 3 matches, Permaul, his Albion teammate struggled for potency and was often guilty of bowling too short as Barbados dominated the 2nd session. Both spinners, while extremely talented, again seemed to lack patience and provided too many bad balls at this level.
Bishoo trapped Haynes leg before as he pushed half forward at 245-4 after the left-hander had batted for 186 minutes, faced 155 balls and reached the boundary 6 times and cleared it once in his 69.
Edwards and Kevin Stoute joined forces in the final session and seemed set to take Barbados to a commanding position with an unfinished partnership by the end of the day before Bess, who again bowled with genuine pace on a ‘graveyard dead’ track trapped Edwards leg before at 319-5.
The right-hander survived a very confident leg-before appeal on 44 off Bess who bowled with more control in his last spell but Edwards failed to take advantage of his good fortune and departed just before the close for 44 from 79 balls with 4 fours as Guyana fought back towards the end of the day’s play. Stoute, a level-headed right handed all-rounder who scored a career best 186 when the 2 teams played to a high scoring draw in their last First Class meeting, looked positive and finished the day unbeaten on 36.
Pint-size West Indies under-19 Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich was with him on 5 after being tested with a few short balls from Bess who finished with 1-60 from 12 overs after his first 10 cost 56 runs.
Barnwell had 2-60 from 12 overs and struggled with his length on a track which afforded the batsmen all the time in the world to play their shots while Mohamed (1-45 from 22) and Bishoo (1-52 from 16) were the other wicket takers for Guyana who will be hoping to prevent Barbados from becoming the 3rd team to score over 400 runs against them this season.
Esuan Crandon, Vishaul Singh and Trevor Benn were the 3 bowlers left out of the Guyana team which had the services of Analyst Robin Singh for the first time in a First Class match yesterday.

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