BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Seasoned all-rounder Dwayne Smith completed a fine day with ball and bat to help put Barbados well within sight of first innings points over the Leeward Islands on the opening day of the sixth round regional first-class match at Kensington Oval here yesterday.
Playing his first match of the season after returning from the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League, Smith took three for 39 off 11 overs with testing medium-pace bowling after coming on as first change in a Leeward Islands total of 138 all out off 47.3 overs after they were sent in.
He then slammed 67 in 77 minutes off 63 balls with seven fours and three sixes in a fifth wicket partnership of 90 with Kyle Hope to rescue the home side from a worrying 32 for four before they closed on 134 for five off 40 overs.
The solid Hope, also in his first match of the season, was uneaten on 26 with wicket-keeper/batsman Shane Dowrich on six.
Hope has been at the crease for 126 minutes, having faced 97 balls.
Smith struck the ball hard and clean and showed why he is such a dangerous player in any format of the game before leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr induced him into driving a return catch with seven overs left in the day’s play.
In a dramatic post-tea session, Barbados lost four wickets for three runs 5.3 overs after openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Omar Phillips had added 29 with little bother.
Test player Brathwaite (10) was well caught and bowled right-handed by pacer Gavin Tonge from a push in the seventh over of the innings and then in the next over, left-hander Phillips was caught at point from a drive, by Walsh off leg-spinner Anthony Martin for 14.
Another left-hander, Jonathan Carter, was caught at slip by skipper Gavin Williams off Martin for two and captain Shamarh Brooks edged a defensive stroke off Tonge to wicket-keeper Devon Thomas before he had scored.
Thomas soon left the field in pain after he was struck on the knee by a delivery from Tonge.
Tonge has two for 19 off eight overs and Martin, two for 35 off 12 overs.
Earlier, the Leeward Islands were bowled out 44 minutes before tea.
Right-arm fast bowler Lionel Baker, who bats left-handed, topscored with 33 at No. 10. He was at the crease for 47 minutes, faced 41 balls and struck four boundaries.
Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn was the leading wicket-taker with four for 17 off ten overs.
Javia Liburd (4) was caught at first slip by Benn as he fended a short ball from fast-medium bowler Carlos Brathwaite, playing in his first match of the season after recovering from a leg injury in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament in January.
Montcin Hodge, driving, was caught at the wicket by Dowrich off Smith for five and left-hander Austin Richards was caught at first slip by Benn off Smith for 28 to leave the score 41 for three.
Richards survived two chances. When 17, he was put down at third slip by Smith off fast bowler Christopher Jordan with the score 21 for one and on 22, he was dropped at first slip by Benn to his left off Carlos Brathwaite when the score was 32 for two.
Williams, essaying an expansive drive, was caught by Dowrich off Jordan for 21 and when Thomas (11) was caught at mid-on by Kraigg Brathwaite, driving, off Benn immediately after lifting him over long-off for six, it was 75 for five.
The Leewards quickly slipped to 78 for eight with the dismissals of Jason Peters, who was bowled by Benn for three; left-hander Walsh was caught at forward short-leg by Hope off Benn for one and Justin Athanaze was yorked by Benn for nought.
Tonge and Baker then added 32 in five overs for the ninth wicket before Tonge was caught at cover by Kraigg Brathwaite off Smith for 21.
But Barbados’ hopes of quickly wrapping up the innings were dented by Baker and Martin before Baker was caught at slip by Jordan off 19-year-old debutant left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, leaving Martin unbeaten on four.
