Barbados maintained their dominance over Combined Campuses and Colleges despite sluggish progress and a career-best seven-wicket haul by leg-spinner Akeem Dewar yesterday, Day 2 of their Regional 4-Day match.
The Bajans occupied the wicket for the entire day’s play in which they scored just 195 runs for an eventual total of 365 for nine, a lead of 256.
The CCC face a herculean job on today’s third day even though the pitch at the 3Ws Oval has lost whatever pace it offered on Day 1.
Barbados captain Kirk Edwards, 93 overnight, duly completed a third century in regional competition after 50 minutes of play but was upstaged by Dewar who has taken seven for 114 from 42 overs.
The hundred, Edwards’ fifth in first-class cricket, spanned 172 balls and came after just over four hours batting. The captain, who is seeking a recall to the senior West Indies side for the upcoming two-Test series against the touring Zimbabweans, failed to add to the ten fours and three sixes he struck on Wednesday.
He and opener Kraigg Brathwaite took their partnership to 188 although the first wicket actually fell with the score on 204. That’s because Brathwaite’s opening partner, Rashidi Boucher, retired hurt on Wednesday after being struck on the left forearm by CCC’s Jason Dawes with the score on 16.
Only 48 runs were added in the two-hour morning session yesterday for the loss of the wickets of Edwards and Dwayne Smith as the overnight not out pair laboured for about an hour and a half over 34 runs before being parted half-hour ahead of the luncheon interval.
After enticing Edwards to edge a wide leg-break to slip when on 109, the 21-year-old Dewar then accepted a catch off his own bowling from Smith.
A typically ultra-cautious Brathwaite witnessed the demise of both Jonathan Carter and Roston Chase after the break before finally exiting in unusual circumstances.
With his score on 90 and in sight of a third first-class hundred, the slim right-hander received an innocuous-looking long-hop from off-spinner Ryan Austin which he aimed to pat into the onside. He succeeded in finding the boot of Shacaya Thomas who was fielding at forward shortleg, from where the ball ricocheted into the gloves of alert wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton to end a painstaking 286-ball, 381 minutes stay at the crease.
Led by Dewar, who bowled unchanged from the northern end, CCC enjoyed the better of the spoils for a second session, grabbing five wickets in 34.5 overs for the addition of 70 runs, meaning that Barbados had posted 118 runs in four hours of play.
The “visitors” were given a short respite when Dewar who completed his first ever first-class five-wicket haul before the tea interval, left the field early in the final session.
CCC ran into stubborn resistance from Shane Dowrich, who once again displayed a calm assurance in shoring up the lower order. At the other end there were cameos from Christopher Jordan (14), Jason Holder (20) and Ashley Nurse (15).
Not even the second new ball, taken after 133 overs with the total 345 for nine could dislodge the 21-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman and last man Miguel Cummins (two not out) who had the distinction of registering his first runs at the regional level.
Dowrich (51 not out) closed out Barbados’ satisfactory day by stroking the final delivery, his 133rd, through extra cover to reach his fifth half-century after 188 minutes.
