KINGSTOWN – Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican nabbed his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket to hand Barbados Pride a solid first innings lead, but West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford countered for Windward Islands Volcanoes to leave the fourth-round contest on a knife’s edge yesterday.
At the close of the penultimate day at Arnos Vale, Barbados had stumbled to 93 for five in their second innings, an overall lead of 171 runs.
They were undermined by Shillingford who has taken three for 24, including the wicket of top-scorer Shai Hope who made 34.
Earlier, Warrican and off-spinning counterpart Ashley Nurse combined for nine wickets as the Volcanoes crashed to 274 all out in their first innings to concede a 78-run lead.
This was despite a maiden first-class hundred from West Indies limited-overs batsman Johnson Charles who carved out a superb 151.
Resuming the day on 151 for two with Charles on 79 and Andre Fletcher on 35, the Windwards coasted to 206 without further loss before losing their last eight wickets for 68 runs.
Warrican was the chief destroyer, with five for 75, while Nurse picked up four for 56.
Charles defied them, however, crafting an innings from 298 balls in nearly 6-1/2 hours while hammering 12 fours and three sixes.
He put on 150 for the third wicket with Fletcher whose 61 came from 161 balls in 203 minutes and contained eight fours and three sixes.
However, once Fletcher tapped a return catch back to Nurse and Sunil Ambris was taken at short leg in the bowler’s next over without scoring, the innings went to ruins.
Charles was eventually ninth out, driving Warrican to Nurse at cover.
Barbados Pride’s hopes of capitalising on their lead were dashed early when they slipped to 18 for two.
Kyle Corbin was bowled by left-arm seamer Kenroy Peters without scoring in the second over with just one on the board and left-hander Jonathan Carter followed soon afterward, lbw to seamer Mervin Mathew for four.
Opener Hope then struck five fours in 62 balls at the crease, adding 30 for the third wicket with first innings century-maker Roston Chase who got 11.
But Shillingford then went to work, prising out Chase, then Hope to a catch at cover before trapping wicket-keeper Shane Dowrich lbw for 20 late in the day. (CMC)
