Ince Transport Services MTW can cover themselves in glory when the 2010 Barbados Cricket Association’s Intermediate final is concluded this afternoon at Kensington Oval.
But in order to add the Divisional crown to the Sagicor Shield championship they captured on October 17 last year, the Pine Basin-based club would first have to hold off a resurgent UWI team who batted themselves back into contention after conceding a daunting 156- run first innings lead.
Spurred by contrasting knocks by Principal Sir Hilary Beckles and allrounder Marlon Richards, UWI reached 239-7 in their second innings, a lead of 83 with three wickets in hand.
MTW, already in a strong position at yesterday’s resumption, added ten to their overweek 300-9 as last wicket pair Jamell Kirton (79 not out) and Sheldon Roach took their entertaining stand to 100 before the latter perished by the run-out route for 26.
UWI were given a rousing start by first innings topscorer Jason Jordan who struck sixes off the first and last balls of the opening over from medium pacer Camara Reece but soon found themselves in peril on 40-3.
An enterprising 55-run partnership between Beckles and Nhamo Winn saw the “students” recover to 113-4 at tea, having lost Winn for 24 to a catch by ‘keeper Kirton off the bowling of veteran left-arm wrist spinner Dennis Payne.
By then Beckles had already brought up his fifty with seven fours and a huge six off Payne that cleared the Garfield Sobers pavilion. The half century came off just 38 deliveries in 45 minutes and the deficit had been reduced to 43.
Payne, however, won the battle of the veterans when 55-year-old Beckles holed out to long off shortly after the break for 56 but the UWI lower middle order displayed more grit than in the first innings and further stands of 54 and 47 for the sixth and seventh wickets respectively ensured that the fate of the match would be decided on the fourth and final day
