Barrington’s superb ton, Haslim 2nd fifty keep Rest team alive

Nov 13, 2010 Sports

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Devon Clements takes evasive action as Wasim Haslim smashes Veerasammy Permaul through the covers during his 52 at Blairmount yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

By Sean Devers in Berbice

Shemroy Barrington batted the entire 3rd day for the Rest team in a superb unbeaten 152 against Cellink Berbice at the Blairmount ground in West Berbice yesterday in the opening round of the GCB senior 4-day cricket competition.
The 22-year-old Barrington staked a strong claim for a national re-call by stroking 19 fours and a six in his 249-ball and 340-minute unfinished innings as the Rest team, asked to follow-on, finished the penultimate day on 322-5, enjoying a lead of 132 going into today’s final day.
Barrington, who has played 5 First Class matches, got excellent support from left-hander Wasim Haslim who notched up his 2nd fifty of the match with an attractive 54 as the 10 bowlers used by the home team struggled for success on a placid track.
On a day blessed with glorious sunshine, the Rest team, 190 runs behind Berbice’s first innings 392, were asked to follow-on when play resumed after they were dismissed for 202 at stumps on the 2nd day.
Guyana’s latest Test pacer Brandon Bess struck at 32-1 when he had Ryan Ramdass caught behind for 21 but he looked ordinary for the rest of the day and was ‘roughed up’ towards the closing stages by the free-flowing Barrington who reached 150 in fading light just before the close in his 3rd century at this level.
Skipper Gajanand Singh and Barrington joined forces on a track with some assistance for the spinners and took the score to 98-1 by lunch with Barrington, who last played for Guyana two years ago, unbeaten on 49 and Singh on 26.
The right-handed Barrington played some lovely shots and brought up his 50 with a brutal sweep for 4 off left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul. His 50 came from 82 balls and 103 minutes and was decorated with 9 delightful boundaries.
Just when Singh was looking set, the left-hander was caught at cover off Royston Crandon for 35 to end the 85-run 2nd wicket partnership and leave the visitors on 117-2. Singh’s 68-ball and 104-minute innings included 4 fours.
Unlike in the first innings when he made a consorted effort to bat long, Jonathon Foo hit a four and clobbered Royston Crandon for consecutive sixes before edging an almighty cut at Royston Crandon (2-42) to slip to leave the score on 147-3. At just 18, Foo needs to get some big scores at this level to shake off the ‘T20 specialist’ tag. Yesterday his cameo 19-ball 21 was in T20 mode.
Barrington displayed a solid defence but was not afraid to put the bad balls away with a series of disdainful shots, including several sweeps. The left-handed Haslim, who top-scored with 52 in the first innings, again looked confident as Permaul in particular appeared to lack energy as he bowled long spells.
Twenty-year-old off-spinner Steven Latcha who had a five-wicket haul for the Rest team last year, bowled with impressive flight and ‘loop’ on his Berbice 4-day debut and also got the ball to turn but on a ‘dead slow’ track it was always going to be hard work for the bowlers. Dropping Barrington on 150 off his own bowling at 318-5 in the dying stages of yesterday could prove costly for his team today.
The few spectators present saw Barrington, who plays for GDF in the City demonstrate calculated aggression and the type of level-headedness which has been lacking in many of his previous innings when he wasted promising starts.
At Tea the Rest team had progressed to 196-3 enjoying a 6-run lead with Barrington on 87, Haslim on 23 and their partnership already worth 49.
After the break Haslim in particular was eager to go after the spinners; sweeping Permaul for six and then smashing him down the ground for four.
Haslim turned Latcha for a single to reach his 50 from 148 balls, 128 minutes with 6 fours and a six while Barrington’s century came from 180 balls, 280 minutes with 13 fours.
The 96-run partnership was broken at 243 when Haslim was taken at silly mid-off when he pushed forward as Deonarine.
Dion Ferrier and the well entrenched Barrington carried the score to 291 before a shocking LBW verdict by Zaheer Moakan off Esuan Crandon sent Ferrier (21) packing after he clearly got an inside edge onto his pad.
Hicks (11*) who looked good in the first innings offered good support to Barrington as the pair survived to the close to set up an anticipated intriguing final day today.
The disregard for standards in Guyana was again evident when the match began 20 minutes after the scheduled 09:30hrs start because most of the players on the Berbice team arrived at the ground at 09:30hrs.
The driver of the Berbice team bus blamed the schedule of the Berbice Bridge for the team’s late arrival even as the Rest team, which is also being accommodated in East Berbice, got to the match venue on time.

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