Empire have their own way with the Youth

JASON PARRIS and Jason Haynes set up the innings; Jamal Smith and Antonio Greenidge strengthened the position and then Alcindo Holder and Ryan Hinds savagely propelled ICBL Empire to 296 for four, four runs shy of maximum batting points off Guardian General Barbados Youth.The openers put on 77 at better than a run-a-ball before captain Smith and Greenidge posted 103 for the third-wicket to pave the way for punishing knocks by Holder and Hinds against a hapless, inexperienced Youth side, who had earlier folded to 240 all out in their first innings.Empire required just 7.5 overs to dismiss the Youth who resumed from an overweek total of 222 for six with the veteran right-arm seamer conceding 14 runs yesterday to finish with figures of five for 49 from 15.5 overs.Failed to add to scoreYouth skipper Kemar Brathwaite failed to add to his overweek 71 not out falling to the first of three catches grabbed by his opposite number, wicketkeeper Jamal Smith, who also snared Kevin Earle and Tevin Lowe off successive deliveries to put Blagrove in line for a hat trick when last man Jabari Mascoll came to the crease.Mascoll survived the hat trick but not the over, leaving Craig Holder (11 not out overweek) stranded on 25.Parris (43) and Haynes (35) took full toll on the wayward bowling with the new ball by right arm Tevin Lowe and left armer Jerome Jones before Brathwaite  accounted for both batsmen in successive overs to haul his team back into contention.Smith and Greenidge made full use of faulty catching by Youth who let off the pair on four occasions to register contrasting half centuries.Smith, put down at 49 and 50, eventually fell for an 86-ball 66 with nine fours and a six while Greenidge stayed until the close to 58 not out, reaching 50 from 100 balls and stroking four boundaries in 137 minutes of batting.But it was Holder, at his savage best, who accelerated the run rate at a frenetic pace, smashing seven fours and three sixes in scoring 61 in only 41 minutes batting off a mere 29 deliveries.