…after Royston Crandon ton
An unbeaten and pugnacious 104 from Kevin Stoute, coupled with an unbeaten 83 from Ryan Hinds piloted Barbados to 267-3 in reply to Guyana’s 334 at the close of the second day’s play at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
Guyana were led by one of their consistent middle order batsmen Royston Crandon, who stroked his way to his maiden first class century, an unbeaten 137, against the bowling of Stoute (3-59), Hinds (2-58) and Nikolai Charles (2-67).
Barbados saw their reply to Guyana’s 334 off to a bright start, with openers 16-year-old Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk Edwards posting 48 for the first wicket, before the former who already has 30 centuries under his belt, was run out by Assad Fudadin for 16 in Veerasammy Permaul’s first over.
Guyana had the opportunity to remove Brathwaite when he was on nine and the Barbadians’ scoreboard reading 34 without loss in the ninth over, but wicketkeeper Delbert Hicks failed to hold onto the catch which came off the bowling of Brandon Bess.
But the Guyanese struck two quick blows, sending back Edwards who was beginning to look threatening via the run out route, followed by the wicket of Shamarh Brooks who was given out lbw first ball to Devendra Bishoo on the stroke of tea, with Hinds on 11 and Barbados 76-3.
Stoute joined his teammate after tea and together they took the fight back to the home team in an unbroken 191-run fourth-wicket stand, with Stoute pulling Royston Crandon for successive boundaries, whilst Hinds collected boundaries in successive overs off Bishoo, who was also dispatched over wide long off by Stoute for six.
The 100 was posted in the 28th over, whilst the 50 partnership for the pair only took them 47 balls and 31 minutes to accumulate decorated with five fours and one six, with Hinds, 15 and Stoute, 27.
Hinds got to his 50 from 77 balls, with seven fours whilst batting for 106 minutes, while Stoute also brought up his own with two successive boundaries off the bowling of Esaun Crandon, hitting seven fours and one six from 57 deliveries and 82 minutes batting.
The two raised their 100-run partnership from 122 balls and 80 minutes of batting, studded with 13 fours and one six, with Stoute contributing 50 and Hinds 35 runs respectively and the runs never dried up, as they continued to soldier on against an ordinary looking bowling attack.
Stoute struck Bishoo’s first delivery through extra cover for four, followed by a six back over his head, while Hinds also got into the boundary scoring act with a four off Bishoo as the partnership stretched to 142 for the fourth wicket.
Stoute was given a life by Barnwell off Bess when on 92 and to rub salt into the wound caused by the let off, he eased the bowler through midwicket for four two balls later to move to 98, whilst Barbados progressed to 250-3, with Hinds on 74.
The 23-year-old registered his second first class ton, when he drove Bishoo through the covers for his 15th four to go along with his two sixes, from 110 deliveries and 161 minutes of batting and when bad light forced the close of play at 1757 hrs, Barbados were 267-3, with Stoute on 104 and Hinds 83.
Trapped
Resuming on their overnight score of 208-6 with Royston Crandon on 65 and his elder brother Esaun four, Guyana progressed to 249 as they took their overnight seventh wicket partnership from 29 to 70.
Esaun Crandon struck two fours in his 16, before he was trapped on the crease by Stoute, whilst Bishoo was bowled by Hinds for seven, with one four and whilst wickets were lost, Royston Crandon was inching his way to his maiden first class ton.
Permaul (04) joined Crandon at the fall of Bishoo’s wicket and even though their partnership was not a big one, occupation of the crease was important for their team which has not won a game in the tournament so far.
Crandon lost Bishoo, who was caught by Kemar Roach off the bowling of Nikolai Charles, but Bess joined Crandon who then moved from 89 to 95 with a six over long on off the bowling of Hinds, but took 20 minutes in the 90’s before he executed a well-timed straight drive which went past Stoute at mid off en route to the boundary, off the bowling of Tino Best to post his century.
He faced 188 balls and struck 11 fours and one six whilst batting for 239 minutes, and celebrated with two pugnacious drives for boundaries off Stoute, whilst Bess hit Charles over wide long on for six to open his account. At lunch Guyana were 327-9 with Crandon on 131 and Bess nine.
Barbados closed off the home team’s innings eight minutes after the luncheon break, when Bess was bowled by Shane Ramsay for 11, leaving the 25-year-old Crandon unbeaten on 136, made from 230 deliveries and enlivened with 15 fours and one six from 288 minutes of batting.
Stoute who ended with 3-59, along with Hinds (2-57) and Charles (2-67), fought valiantly to pull Barbados back into the game, something he eventually did with the bat as the Guyanese grassed three catches in the field.