Barbados Pride commenced their 2025 West Indies Championship campaign with a promising performance, concluding the day’s play at Providence Stadium with a total of 346 all out against defending champions Guyana Eagles.
Having elected to bat first on Day One, the Pride faced an early setback, losing two wickets within the first hour. Opener Leniko Boucher was dismissed for 19 runs, followed by captain Raymon Reifer for six, leaving the team at 35-2. However, they demonstrated resilience, regaining their composure to reach 123-2 at the lunch interval when Zachary McCaskie and Jonathan Drakes forged an 88-run partnership.
As the innings progressed, the Eagles began to exert pressure, taking wickets at regular intervals. McCaskie, batting confidently on 64 not out, was dismissed by Ronaldo Alimohammed after edging a full delivery to wicketkeeper Kemol Savory. This dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, with three wickets falling for 68 runs. Middle-order batsmen Kevin Wickham (3) and Demetrius Richards (13) were among those to fall before Drakes departed for 70 runs following a contentious LBW decision.
At 191-6, with a long tail remaining, bowling all-rounder Matthew Forde produced a career-best knock of 82 runs, including his first first-class half-century.
Holder was dismissed for 35, while Chemar Holder contributed a vital 29 runs, ultimately propelling the Pride to a total of 346 all out, just four runs short of the 350 mark.
Off-spinner Richie Looknauth was Guyana’s most successful bowler, taking 4-64. Slow left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and Ronaldo Alimohammed each claimed two wickets, while Anthony Adams and Nial Smith took one apiece. (JC)
Summarised Scores:
Barbados Pride 346 all out (Matthew Forde 82, Jonathan Drakes 70; Richie Looknauth 4-64, Ronaldo Alimohammed 2-37)
