BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Left-handed opening batsman Omar Phillips, who made his West Indies debut earlier this year, smashed a fine hundred as UWI secured the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division One title on Saturday.
Phillips cracked 156 with 13 fours and two sixes as visiting UWI posted 265 for three in reply to St Catherine’s 278 all out at the Bayfield Ground to gather the minimum required batting points to achieve an impregnable position in the standings.
UWI moved to 143 points and their nearest rivals, Carlton, can attain a maximum of only 142 points in this 15th and final round of the competition.
Resuming from last week’s close of play score of 276 for nine, St Catherine added just one run to their total with West Indies off-spinner Ryan Austin finishing with five for 94, supported by Jamaican leg-spinner Gavin Wallace (2-40) and Guyana pacer Gilford Moore (2-47).
Phillips, who played two Test matches against Bangladesh in July, then paced UWI to their strong position.
He reached his hundred off 159 balls with 10 fours and two sixes.
Nekoli Parris (50) and the Vincentian Romel Currency (34 not out) also scored well for UWI.
Former West Indies Under-19 captain Shamarh Brooks built on his century the previous week and scored 142 for Spartan to reach 327 for nine declared against LIME.
Brooks struck 15 fours and one six in his knock while national spinner Nikolai Charles led LIME’s bowling with five for 107.
LIME reached 213 for nine in reply with former West Indies wicket-keeper and Barbados captain Courtney Browne top-scoring with 40.
Another former West Indies youth captain got a hundred when Shirley Clarke posted 113, with 10 fours and two sixes for Carlton to gather 302 for six declared in reply to BCL’s 123 all out at Blenheim.
In another match, off-spinner Shane Ramsey snared seven for 57 for Maple to reduce Banks to 172 all out responding to the home team’s 157 at Trents.
