ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – An astonishing 26 wickets fell on the second day as Barbados emerged from a low-scoring slugfest with Windward Islands, with a 71-run victory in their Regional Four-Day match here yesterday.
Off-spinner Shane Shillingford snatched a career-best eight for 33 in Barbados’ second innings of 85 to finish the game with amazing match figures of 14 for 110, which seemed to put the Windwards on top.
However, seamer Javon Searles answered with a career-best showing of his own, securing match figures of 11 for 83, to bowl the Barbadians to victory late in the day at the National Stadium.
Barbados now have 48 points while the Windwards remained on 28.
There was no indication of what was to come when the Windwards resumed the day on 65 for four, in reply to Barbados’ first innings of 192.
However, the hosts suffered a collapse, losing their last six wickets for 68 runs to tumble to 133 all out, with Searles adding two more wickets to his overnight four to finish with six for 44.
Seamer Carlos Brathwaite took two for 54.
Sergio Fedee top-scored with an unbeaten 31 while captain Liam Sebastien scored 28. The pair extended their fifth wicket stand to 39 before being separated, when Sebastien was lbw to Searles.
Behind by 53 runs on first innings, the Windwards then tore through the Barbados innings, as the visitors’ batsmen found Shillingford virtually unplayable.
Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite was his first victim, caught at mid-on by Fedee for one before captain Kirk Edwards also perished without scoring, lbw to the 29-year-old for one, as Barbados stumbled to lunch on 11 for two.
Shillingford continued to wreak havoc after the break as Barbados’ collapse continued, and Omar Phillips and lower order batsman Carlos Brathwaite were the joint top-scorers with 16.