SANFORDBRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
A SIXTH-WICKET century partnership between Dale Richards and Patrick Browne, who both hit half-centuries, pulled Barbados around from a precarious position against the Leeward Islands on the opening day of their fourth-round Carib Beer Cup match yesterday.
Following Sherwin Campbell's luck of the toss for the third
consecutive game, Barbados, the repeat double-crown champions but now languishing rock bottom in the standings on four points, slumped to 87 for five after being 72 for one on a hard, true Kensington Oval pitch.
But Richards, topscorer with a career-best 79 in three hours including 14 boundaries and wicket-keeper/batsman Browne, who made 66, settled down admirably to feature in a stand of 126 in 36.3 overs.
With a rally from the lower order, Barbados closed on 286 for nine.
Off-spinner Ryan Austin was on 13 in 98 minutes and fast bowler Jason Bennett, 16.
FIRST FIVE WICKETS
Pacer Adam Sanford, whose first two overs in separate spells yielded 16 runs, grabbed four of the first five wickets as the home team rallied to 101 for five at lunch. The former West Indies player has the best figures of five for 92 off 19 overs.
Both Richards and Browne were out to disappointing strokes. Richards was dismissed 13
minutes before tea when he cut off-spinner Omari Banks to point, while Browne fell 21 minutes after the interval, miscuing a pull off medium-pacer Carl Simon to square-leg. He batted for 189
minutes, faced 148 deliveries and hit six boundaries.
Campbell and left-hander Martin Nurse added 47 in 10.2 overs for the first wicket before medium-fast bowler Kerry Jeremy had Campbell leg before wicket on the backfoot for 21.
It was the first of four decisions, which umpire Dalton Holder of Barbados had to rule on in an eventful pre-lunch session.
Nurse, whose first scoring stroke was a six that he swung over midwicket off a full toss from Sanford in the day's second over, mixed solid defence with a few aggressive strokes. Sanford was promptly taken out of the attack and did not return until 50 minutes before lunch when he operated from the Joel Garner end at the north.
He was greeted by an aggressive Nurse who took a boundary through the covers followed by a six over extra-cover. But Sanford forced the batsman to miscue a pull in his next over and the ball was lobbed to mid-on for Sylvester Joseph to take an easy catch. Nurse made 31 in 76 minutes off 47 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes.
It was the start of the collapse as Sanford struck again in his next two overs. Kurt Wilkinson was given out caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs diving to his left before he had scored - a decision, which seemed to surprise the batsman.
Then Kenroy Williams (one), playing his first match for Barbados for the dropped Shawn Graham but seventh at the regional level, hung his bat out and provided Jacobs with a straightforward catch although the batsman lingered at the crease before Holder gave the decision.
Three balls later, Dwayne Smith's disappointing form continued when he played across and was leg before wicket for four.
At lunch, Richards was batting solidly on 30 and Browne, six. When 37, Richards was dropped at short extra-cover by Joseph off Sanford as he essayed a forcing backfoot drive with the score 122 for five.
The pair then dug in, played virtually every ball on its merit and rebuilt the innings as they both exhibited fine timing and nimble footwork. There were flowing drives on either side of the pitch and Richards was also quick to put away anything short.
