BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados suffered another setback in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday, when James Taylor stroked his seventh first-class hundred to lead England Lions to first innings points in their drawn match.
The Barbadian bowling again lacked teeth on a hard, easy-paced Kensington Oval pitch and Man-of-the-Match Taylor gathered 186, as the Lions were dismissed for 538, replying to Barbados’ first innings total of 471, on the final day of their second round match.
Pedro Collins finished as the most successful bowler for Barbados with three wickets for 89 runs from 35 overs.
His younger brother Fidel Edwards collected two for 88 form 29 overs, and leg-spinner Shamarh Brooks captured two for 92 from 23 overs, but solid batting from Taylor, Craig Kieswetter with 75, and Danny Briggs with 38 not out kept Barbados in the field until play finished about an hour earlier than scheduled.
The Barbadians earned three points for the second straight match to move to six in the competition, but the Lions gained six points to increase their tally to 18.
Barbados host Jamaica at the same venue in the third round of matches, when the England Lions travel to Port of Spain, Trinidad, to face Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval.
The Barbadians were made to toil, after rain delayed the start by 20 minutes, and the Lions resumed from their overnight total of 349 for four.
Barbados endured a wicket-less labour in the morning period, as Taylor and Kieswetter carried the Lions to 412 for four at lunch.
The two Lions batsmen passed their respective landmarks before the lunch. Taylor reached his hundred from 245 balls with a drive into the off-side for a single off Edwards, and Keiswetter reached 50 from 245 balls.
After lunch, Kevin Stoute made the breakthrough for Barbados, when he trapped Kieswetter lbw for 75 to leave the visitors on 413 for five. He batted 213 minutes, received 178 balls, and struck four boundaries and two sixes, and added 141 for the fifth wicket with Taylor.
The Barbadians continued to meet resistance from the Lions, when Liam Plunkett joined Taylor, and they continued to plod away.
During their stand, Taylor reached his 150 from 365 balls before Jason Holder scalped his maiden first-class wicket, when he bowled Plunkett for 13.
Fidel Edwards also trapped James Harris lbw for a duck before the Lions formalised the lead, when Taylor slapped the same bowler through cover for four about eight minutes before tea.
At the break, the Lions were 479 for seven, but the Barbadians continued to work their way through their opponents’ batting, and were relieved an hour later when it was all over.
