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Day 1: Missing in action, Barbados team fail to impress

Where is the Barbados cricket team that played so impressively in the first two Busta Cup matches?

Some unkind spectators will loudly say that they were not at Kensington Oval yesterday.

The championship front-runners were a mere shadow of the team that brushed aside the Windward and Leeward Islands and did very little after Guyana asked them to bat first in lovely conditions.

Captain Roland Holder hit a solid 50, but no one else passed 20 and Barbados, almost unbelievably, lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs and were all out for 133 by tea time.

To their credit, Barbados defended their small total with some measure of success by restricting Guyana to 82 for four in the final session.

Gavin Nedd, a 26-year-old of-spinner whose appearances for Guyana have been limited in recent years, gained appreciable spin with his controlled stuff and finished with four for 48.

Fast bowler Colin Stuart removed Sherwin Campbell and Ryan Hinds by way off catches to wicket-keeper Vishal Nagamootoo, while Kevin Darlington struck a timely blow by claiming Holder immediately after the Barbados captain had reached his third half-century of the tournament.

Darlington, the least distinguished of Guyana's bowlers, managed to get a ball to bounce more than Holder anticipated. As he pushed forward, the ball came off the splice of his bat and ballooned to backward point for a comfortable catch.

By then, Barbados were 117 for six and the major damage had been done with the dismissals of the openers, Horace Waldron, Ryan Hinds and wicket-keeper Courtney Browne.

Campbell and Adrian Griffith spent an hour and 20 minutes in adding 29, but the truth is that most of the bowling during that period was way off-line.

Campbell, solid as he was during his unbeaten 169 in the last round, made 19 before Stuart, with the first ball of a second spell, made him nibble at a ball outside off stump. It took the edge and wicket-keeper Nagamootoo dived forward to haul in the catch.

Griffith, who needed 38 balls and nearly an hour for his first run, was out for 15 in almost identical fashion to his dismissal against Leewards. Advancing to drive Nedd's off-spin, he was bowled behind his back.

On resumption after lunch, taken at 51 for two, Holder featured in partnerships of 29 with Waldron and 41 with Hinds, but neither stood around long enough.

Browne joined Holder as the last recognised pair for Barbados. Within minutes he was heading for the pavilion, the victim of a neat, low catch by Azeenul Haniff at extra-cover.

That left Barbados 106 for five and once Holder was gone, the visitors did not allow Barbados' length tail to frustrate them.

Guyana were off to an encouraging start, posting their first 50 in a hour for the loss of only Haniff, who edged Pedro Collins down the throat of third slip.

Barbados, and more so Winston Reid, raised their hopes by collecting three wickets in the space of nine runs.

One of those was the dangerous Clayton Lambert, who chose to attack Reid's first ball and ended up skiing a catch to mid-on.

Before that, Corey Collymore enjoyed a moment he will remember for some time when he bowled the confident Lennox Cush with a delivery that straightened on pitching.

Day 2: Reid, Marshall save day

Two bowlers with hardly imposing batting credentials staged a grand recovery for Barbados against Guyana yesterday, in a match that had produced abysmally disappointing batting up to that point.

Dave Marshall, an ebullient leg-spinner who is considered to be no more than a useful batsman, and Winston Reid, transformed a rapid Barbados collapse into a possible match-winning position with a century stand.

When Reid walked onto Kensington Oval ten minutes before tea on a hot, sunny day, Barbados were 77 for six in their second innings and threatening to repeat their embarrassing collapse of the opening day.

By the close, they were 205 for seven and Marshall was unbeaten on 67, a career-best first-class innings in which he showed plenty of heart and presented a straight, broad bat.

Just before the close, Marshall lost his precious partner Reid for 57 to end a face-saving partnership of 124 that delighted another disappointing crowd of about 1 000.

So much had happened within the first five sessions of the match - 26 wickets had fallen for 337 runs - that some observers were predicting the possibility of a victory inside two days for either side.

It's still likely that the match will finish well inside the distance but had it not been for the supremely confident Marshall and Reid, who batted together for 2 1/2 hours, spectators might have fell cheated.

It now seems almost insignificant that Barbados swept aside Guyana in the morning session to gain an unlikely first innings lead by six runs.

Fortunes shifted up and down so many times during the day that it appears it was so long ago that Barbados, defending a paltry first innings total of 133, snatched the opposition's last six wickets after resuming on 82 for four.

Within two hours, however, Guyana, who made 127, had again taken a firm grip by removing Barbados' top 6, the damage caused by the unheralded fast bowler Kevin Darlington.

Darlington took four for 28 and had the huge satisfaction of removing Test men Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith and Roland Holder along with Ryan Hinds. With the exception of Holder, all went for ducks.

When Darlington's new ball partner Colin Stuart had Horace Waldron, the last of Barbados' recognised batsmen, magnificently caught right-handed by little wicket-keeper Vishal Nagamootoo, the home team's overall lead was only 83 and a long tail was exposed.

Initially, Reid counter-attacked but after tea, both he and Marshall frustrated Guyana with solid, sensible batting in a final session that brought Barbados 122 runs.

Reid, who offered a difficult running chance to Azeemul Haniff at backward point when he was on 30, completed his third first-class half-century before falling to a catch at silly-point when Nedd was finally given a bowl late in the final session. He hit just one four off 103 balls, but clouted two sixes over mid-wicket, one each of Nedd and Nagamootoo.

Marshall resumes this morning having already batted for three hours and 20 minutes in which time he hit six fours off 147 balls.

Barbados started off disastrously, losing Campbell and Griffith in the second over to Darlington, the former edging a drive to gully and the latter going lbw offering no stroke.

Captain Holder made 20 before edging a drive to slip and in his next over Darlington had Hinds lbw on the back foot.

In the morning session, Guyana capitulated against the left-arm spin of Reid and the fine outswing of debutant fast bowler Corey Collymore.

The experienced Reid claimed the important scalp of Ramnaresh Sarwan after only three runs had been added and although Andre Percival could not be dislodged, his partners easily succumbed.

The 18-year-old Sarwan was prised out by a fine diving catch by Hinds at silly-point and that dismissal gave Barbados a passage into the Guyana tail.

The Nagamootoo brothers, both capable batsmen, fell to catches by wicket-keeper Browne to disappointing strokes.

As Guyana moved closer to securing the lead, Collymore produced a fine out-swinger which Kevin Darlington edged to Browne after making 18.

The next ball was much too good for the last man Nedd. Pitched on leg stump, it moved away, took the outside edge and flew to third slip where Marshall dived forward to haul in the catch.

Day 3: Strike three!: Barbados win again to remain on top

It was not a Tante Merle finale, but Barbados were made to fight tooth and nail on a very absorbing day before completing a hard-fought victory over Guyana yesterday.

The championship leaders won by 19 runs to maintain a 100 per cent record after three matches, but Guyana must feel hard done by two contentious umpiring decisions which television replays suggested went against them.

On another gripping day of fluctuating fortunes, Barbados owed the victory to wily left-arm spinner Winston Reid and debutant fast bowler Corey Collymore, the pair sharing seven wickets after Guyana were set 220.

The visitors were dismissed for 203, but there were doubts over the dismissals of the potentially dangerous captain Clayton Lambert and topscorer Andre Percival.

Lambert was adjudged run out, while the solid Percival was given out to a close catch when he appeared not to have touched the ball.

But no one should take anything away from Barbados who twice had to break threatening partnerships when Guyana, seeking a second straight victory over Barbados, were making encouraging progress.

Guyana, beaten at 5:03 p.m. with a day to spare, failed to repeat their 1993 come-from-behind win against Barbados on the same ground. In that match, which featured similarities to this one, Barbados made 117 and 213 and Guyana 113 and 218 for six.

Yesterday, the left-handed Percival and Ramnaresh Sarwan were repairing the damage of an uncomfortable 47 for three in a fourth- wicket stand of 67 that was broken half-hour before tea by the least likeliest of bowlers.

Big Patterson Thompson was spraying the ball all over the place and seemed likely to be taken off when he produced a delivery of full length that bowled the gifted 18-year-old Sarwan for 36.

On the evidence of what happened in the first innings when Guyana lost their last six wickets for 45 runs, it appearred to be a match-winning blow.

Barbados, now assured of a semifinal place, then took a firm grip by removing Percival and Travis Dowlin in successive overs from Reid shortly after tea.

Percival, who had just passed his half-century, was stunned when given out caught by wicket-keeper Courtney Browne when the ball appeared to have come from his thigh pad.

The former West Indies youth captain's 51 off 119 balls was made in two hours' batting and included a period in which he survived a torrid time against Collymore immediately after lunch.

When Travis Dowlin followed to a bat-pad catch at silly-point, Guyana were 134 for six and the match again firmly in Barbados' hands.

Another fightback was to follow by way of the Nagamootoo brothers.

The left-handed Mahendra successfully attacked the bowling, lashing 27 off 28 balls with the help of three fours and a fascinating six off Collymore over mid-wicket before the same bowler gained revenge by ending a partnership of 39.

Slashed for a four square of the wicket, Collymore responded with a full length ball that bowled the older Nagamootoo.

It meant that Barbados needed three wickets and Guyana 47 runs and Reid and Collymore finished off things in spite of a last wicket stand of 17.

Reid collected his 26th wicket of the season when Colin Stuart was pinned on the back foot to a faster ball and Collymore claimed the ninth wicket by having Vishal Nagamotoo caught low at slip by Reid for 19.

Victory was now a foregone conclusion, but Barbados needed almost another half-hour to achieve their win. They did so when Collymore bowled Kevin Darlington to complete an impressive debut match in which he took three wickets in either innings.

Guyana, who started their run chase an hour and ten minutes before lunch, were set back by the loss of their left-handed openers within the first six overs.

Azeemul Haniff, beaten by Pedro Collins' pace and sharp movement, had his off-stump flattened, but there was some doubt over the dismissal of Lambert.

The Guyana captain was ruled out after a direct throw from Roland Holder at cover hit the stumps at the wicket-keeper's end, but television replays indicated that Lambert had safely made his ground.

Lennox Cush, the tall No. 3, played confidently in making 20 that included a hooked six off Collins in an over in which he drove down the ground for four before he was bowled by Reid.

It was the second time in the match that Reid struck a blow with his first ball of the innings. Cush, beaten as he pushed forward, stood his ground before both umpires raised their fingers.

Earlier, Barbados resuming on 205 for seven, added only another eight runs before losing their last three wickets.

Two of them went by the run out rout with both batsmen pressing for tight runs.

Collins failed to beat a throw from backward point and Dave Marshall, one of Barbados' batting heroes on the second day, never seemed to have a chance once he set out for a second run with Lennox Cush already having the ball in his bad at deep-cover.

That ended a career-best innings of 71 and a couple runs earlier Thompson provided fast bowler Kevin Darlington with his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket when he was bowled.

Barbados' next match is against Trinidad and Tobago starting Friday at Kensington Oval.

More: Local boyz bang on

Leaders Barbados romped to their third consecutive victory when they defeated Guyana by 16 runs with a day to spare in their Busta Cup cricket match at Kensington Oval yesterday.

Guyana, set 220 runs for victory, were dismissed for 203, with left-hander Andre Percival hitting the topscore of 51.

Veteran left-arm spinner Winston Reid captured four for 42 to push his season's tally to 26 wickets, while young debutant fast bowler Corey Collymore supported with three for 54.

Barbados, who recorded emphatic victories over the Windward and the Leeward Islands in the first two rounds, now have a maximum 48 points and are assured of a semifinal berth.