BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Opener Romel Currency fell five short of a deserved century but his innings kept Combined Campuses and Colleges afloat on the opening day of their Regional First Class Championship semi-final against Windward Islands yesterday.
The right-handed Currency perished late in the day when seemingly poised for his second first class century, as CCC finished the day on 253 for nine after they were sent in at the 3Ws Oval.
He was let down by his fellow batsmen, however, as several got starts but failed to build. Shacoya Thomas stroked 32, the exciting Kyle Corbin scored 30 while the veteran left-hander Floyd Reifer hit 23.
Off-spinner and captain Liam Sebastien finished with four for 49 while left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin claimed three for 76, to be the leading bowlers.
Losing partners regularly, the 28-year-old Currency put his head down to bat for 342 minutes, facing 263 balls and stroking nine fours.
He lost his skipper Omar Phillips in the day’s third over at nine for one when the left-hander was lbw to speedster Nelon Pascal, but added an important 59 for the second wicket with Thomas.
When Thomas was lbw to Sebastien, Currency and Corbin added a further 40 for the third wicket, as CCC went to lunch at 96 for two.
Corbin was lbw on the backfoot to Sebastien at 108 for two after the interval, and it triggered a slide where CCC quickly lost three wickets for 37 runs to tumble to 145 for five.
The innings was then propped up by a 43-run stand for the sixth wicket between Currency and Floyd Reifer before the former West Indies batsman skied a catch to extra cover off off-spinner Dalton Polius.
Currency and Brathwaite posted 44 for the next wicket before three wickets tumbled for seven runs late in the day, as the Windwards struck telling blows.
Unfortunately, Currency was the last of these wickets to fall, caught at slip cutting at Mathurin.
