A spectacular century, a middle order collapse, and a fighting comeback highlighted the second day’s play between the Barbados 13-and-under cricket side and their Trinidadian counterparts yesterday.
Playing at the Empire Sports Club’s ground, Nicholas Kirton wrote his name in the record books, stroking his way to 109 as Barbados, responding to their opponent’s first innings score of 119, were all out for 259 just after tea, an overall lead of 140 runs.
In their second innings, Trinidad had reached 55 for 2 by the end of the day’s play.
Resuming from their overnight score of 82-2 with Kirton on 31 and partner Hasani Newton on 47, the pair extended their partnership to 144 as Barbados cantered to 148 before Newton, who had looked well set to reach three figures, was deceived by a well-flighted delivery from Keron Persuad and gave the bowler an easy catch to be out for 80.
With his dismissal, Kirton took on the responsibility of anchoring the innings and with captain Deswin Currency theyput on 48 for the third wicket, before Currency, who had a difficult time at the wicket, was out lbw to leg spinner Keron Simmons for 29.
Kirton kept pushing on, however, and two consecutive boundaries, the first a splendid drive through midwicket carried him to 94.
A brisk single to mid-off carried the Queen’s College student to 99, before he brought up his century in the most nerve-racking way.
A short delivery was pulled through midwicket, but Kirton could only hold his breath as the ball just managed to evade Simmons’ leap to his left.
With his landmark, Kirton joined Trinidadian Yannic Cariah, and fellow Barbadians Justin Greaves and Kraigg Brathwaite, all current West Indies Under-19 players, as the only players to have scored centuries in the series’ 12-year history.
But Kirton’s dismissal with the score on 235, caught at gully after an innings which featured nine fours from 211 balls and spanned over six hours, triggered a batting collapse that saw Barbados lose their last five wickets for just 24 runs.
Trinidad were on the backfoot from as early as the first over, when Najee Holder took a sharp catch at gully to account for Daniel Williams without a run on the board.
And things got even worse when Jonathan Botan spooned an attempted pull to square leg off the bowling of Shamar Springer to leave them reeling at 7 for 2.
But the pair of Simmons and Saiba Battoosingh steadied the ship, carrying them to 55 without further loss, still some 85 runs behind heading into today’s final day.