THERE are new leaders in the LIME Division 1 cricket competition – but it’s very tight at the top of the table.
Super Centre Spartan and Sagicor UWI head the standings in which three points separate the leading five teams.
Spartan completed the only win of the eighth series of matches yesterday, beating ESA Pickwick to move to 75 points, the same as UWI, who played to a draw with BNB St Catherine.
Pre-series leaders LIME dropped to fifth, but are just three points off the front-runners.
AT QUEEN’S PARK: St Lucy Secondary games master Rohan Nurse and his former student Maradon Bend piloted Spartan to a six-wicket win over lowly Pickwick in a low-scoring match.
The pair came together with the home team’s innings at the crossroads on 41 for four chasing 122 to win in plenty of time.
The master and the graduate featured in an unbroken match-winning stand of 83 that calmed the nerves of the Spartan faithful.
Bend scored an attacking 35 while his mentor Nurse, crafted a solid 39 despite being unwell throughout his innings.
Earlier, Pickwick resumed on their overnight score of 101 for six and were eventually dismissed for 143.
Rascelle Gittens topscored with an aggressive 39. Sulieman Benn destroyed Pickwick’s second innings by snaring six for 43 from 20 overs.
– HAROLD EASTMOND
AT THE BREWERY: A six-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Chad Clarke-Reifer foiled a courageous effort by Banks to chase down a victory target of 212 in fading light.
Clarke-Reifer took six for 61 as Banks ended on 194 for seven when bad light ended play at 5:51 p.m. with 8.1 overs left.
Given a minimum 45 overs, Banks built their challenge around a second wicket stand of 143 between Keegan Alleyne (97) and Kofie Hurdle (49)
Clarke-Reifer dismissed both, triggering a collapse in which six wickets tumbled for 23 runs after Alleyne had smashed six sixes and seven fours in scoring 97 off 81 balls.
Resuming on 141 for four in reply to Wanderers’ first innings score of 295, Banks collapsed to 177 off 59 overs. Jason Holder took five for 33.
Led by an unbeaten 41 from Kirk Edwards, Wanderers declared at tea on 93 for four off 19 overs.
– PHILIP HACKETT
AT WILDEY: Dale Richards warmed-up for higher intensity battles later this month with his tenth Division 1 hundred for TeleBarbados Carlton after they collected first innings points from LIME in their drawn match.
Richards hit eight fours and three sixes in 117 from 132 balls in just over three hours, as Carlton, leading by 36 on first innings, declared on 169 for eight in their second innings about an hour before the scheduled close.
LIME, chasing a highly improbable, if not impossible target of 206 for victory, finished on 49 without loss in their second innings when the match ended with 14 overs remaining.
Carlton had earlier gained first innings points when LIME were dismissed for 232 in their first innings, with Courtney Browne’s 79 the top score, and Marlon Graham, the visitors’ captain, ending with the flattering figures of seven wickets for 63 runs from 26 overs.
(PGM)
AT WEYMOUTH ‘A’: Captain Kraigg Brathwaite completed a fourth Division 1 century as Guardian General Barbados Youth enjoyed the better of the exchanges in a rain-shortened encounter against hosts Police.
The prolific opening batsman continuing from an overweek 67 not out, posted the coveted landmark just before the tea break off the 200th delivery he faced after 273 minutes batting.
Barbados Youth declared their first innings at the interval and then, thanks to a return of four for 65 by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, held the home team to 162 for seven to take six points from the match while restricting their seniors to one.
Brathwaite stroked six boundaries while sharing consecutive half-century partnerships with Kemar Brathwaite (28) and Kyle Mayers (53 not out) respectively, as 95 more runs were added off 20 overs yesterday.
– WAYNE HOLDER
AT BAYFIELD: BNB St Catherine and Sagicor UWI played to a tame draw after a very tense battle for first innings in which the visitors won.
St Catherine, responding to UWI’s 346, were eventually dismissed for 325.
St Catherine resumed from their overnight from 269 for six with Dereck Bishop unbeaten on ten and Michael Holder yet to score.
Holder was leg before without scoring but Bishop tried to get his team to surpass the total before he was last man out for 45.
Off- spinner Ryan Austin finished with five for 147.
UWI enjoyed some free batting in the second innings to close on 173 for four. Kyle Corbin got 56.
– ANCILLE INNISS
AT BECKLES ROAD: Despite surrendering a huge first innings lead of 194, Caribbean Lumber YMPC and ICBL Empire played to a predictable draw.
Resuming from an overnight 32 for one, YMPC declared at 178 for eight in reply to Empire’s mammoth 372.
However, the game ended in stalemate as Empire reached 39 for two when the match was called off after five of the mandatory 15 overs.
Earlier, Steven Blackett resumed on five and Kemal Smith two and they extended their second wicket stand to 40 before Blackett fell for 24.
Shortly afterwards, YMPC lost the in-form Dwayne Smith caught low down at cover for six off Ryan Hinds. Kemal Smith topscored with 33. Ryan Wiggins made 28 and Shamar Cooke 28 not out.
Tennyson Roach hit a quick-fire 21 to give YMPC two important batting points before he was caught off Ryan Hinds, with two for 46.
– ELVIS HOWARD
