PCL First Class cricket...Brooks, Stoute hit fifties for Pride as last session strikes lead Jaguars fight back

PCL First Class cricket…Brooks, Stoute hit fifties for Pride as last session strikes lead Jaguars fight back

Feb 20, 2016 Sports

By Sean Devers in Barbados

In association with Trophy Stall & Tower Suites

Half-centuries from Kevin Stoute and Shamarh Brooks put Barbados Pride in front on the opening day of their seventh round PCL Four-Day cricket match against the Guyana Jaguars at the Kensington Oval yesterday. Brooks

Veerasammy Permaul bowls to Roston Chase in Barbados yesterday.

faced 122 balls from 168 minutes with seven fours and a six in his 55, while Stoute’s unbeaten 56 came from 99 balls, 148 minutes, five fours with one six as the hosts were all out for 274. Keon Joseph (3-49), Devendra Bishoo (2-75), Veerasammy Permaul (2-43) and Raymon Reifer (2-49) were the wicket-takers for the Jaguars.

Barbados Pride won the toss and elected to bat in brilliant sunshine on a track with a lot more pace than the one at Providence. Kyle Corbin played on to a quick ball that nipped back from Joseph in the second over without a run on the board. The 23-year-old Kraigg Braithwaite the most consistent batsman in the Region was joined by fellow Test batsman Shai Hope. Braithwaite dominated the second wicket stand and at one stage had scored 34 of the 35 runs in the partnership. Braithwaite played a couple of delightful shots off Ronsford Beaton, who replaced Gudakesh Motie in the team from their last match at Providence.

Braithwaite clipped Joseph for four after stroking the Berbice pacer effortlessly back past his ankle to the boundary. Hope, who took 31 balls to get off the mark, hooked Beaton for four before Braithwaite pounced on a short wide ball from Refier. But his Bajan colleague, who bowled impressively, induced him to edge one that was angled across him in the same over for Anthony Bramble behind the stumps to take the offering at 46-2. Braithwaite’s entertaining 40 came from 69 minutes, 51 balls with six fours.

The 50 was posted with an extra cover drive by Hope off Beaton from 94 balls and celebrated with a square drive for his third four in the same over off Beaton. Assad Fudadin was used to change around Permaul to the top end 10 minutes before Lunch which was taken at 78-2 from 25 overs with Brooks on seven and Hope 27.

In the first ball after the interval Barbados lost Hope at 78-3 when the right-hander with three Tests to his name was bowled for 27 from 64 balls and 105 minutes decorated with five fours to bring Roston Chase, the tournament’s second highest run scorer (behind Guyana’s Vishual Singh) to the crease. Brooks danced into Permaul and dumped back over his head for six, while Beaton bent his back and got the ball to lift nastily to Chase, who hooked while taking evasive action with the ball going for four. Chase steered Beaton behind point for four as both Beaton and Joseph bowled with lively pace infront of handful of spectators made up mostly of English tourists.

Chase was caught off Permaul for 17 at 133-4 as the left arm spinner broke the 55-run partnership. The 27-year-old Brooks soon reached his sixth fifty at this level, from 107 balls, 150 minutes with seven fours and a six. He was joined by Shane Dowrich (5) who rocked back and pulled Bishoo for four before pushing forward to the Test leg-spinner and edging to Leon Johnson at first slip at 151-5. Jonathon Carter seems to be batting too late and along with Brooks, took the score to 152-5 by Tea. Brooks was looking set for his fourth ton when he was bowled by Bishoo in the first over after Tea at 154-6. Stoute got going with a majestic second ball boundary off Bishoo and stroked the spinner for an equally magnificent cover drive for another four in his next over and his body language suggested he meant business. The classy left-handed Carter, bended knees and square drove Permaul and swept Bishoo for fours. Carter then used his feet to Bishoo and spanked him down the ground. Stoute went on the back foot and slapped Bishoo for four as he and Carter both batted in a positive manner as the seventh wicket partnership flourished between the two men who were both dropped for the last match.

Carter swiveled and pulled Bishoo for four, while Stoute unleashed a dismissive cut when Joseph bowled short and wide as Johnson employed pace from the north and Bishoo from the south. Carter was then trapped LBW to Joseph for 37 from 62 balls, 81 minutes with six fours at 219-7 to end the 65-run stand. Justin Greaves, the 21-year-old in his second game at this level, joined Stoute who dumped Bishoo for six and soon reached his eighth fifty from 112 minutes, 82 balls with five fours and a six.

The new ball was taken after 84.4 overs at 255-6 and Greaves (19) responded with back-to-back boundaries before he was taken at short leg off Joseph, while Hayden Walsh Jr was well caught by the Keeper off Reifer for a duck as Barbados slipped 267-9. Miguel Cummins (2) was run out at the non-strikers’ end off a deflection from Reifer’s hand to end the innings with Stoute at the other end on 56. Today is the second day and play is scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs.