BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Hundreds by opener Kraigg Brathwaite and all-rounder Kevin Stoute, followed by a lethal burst from left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, left Leeward Islands in danger of an innings defeat in the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday.
The 20-year-old Brathwaite compiled 165 – his highest first class score and his third first class century – while Stoute also lashed his third first class century, 114, to lift Barbados to 381 for six declared on the third day of their sixth round encounter at Warner Park.
With a lead of 180 runs, Barbados then reduced the Leewards to 40 for four at the close, courtesy of a spell of three wickets for four runs from Benn.
The hosts, who lie bottom of the standings without a win for the season, enter today’s final day still requiring 140 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Resuming the day on 184 for four with Brathwaite on 86 and Stoute, 54, Barbados flourished as the pair extended their fifth wicket partnership to a superb 230.
The right-handed Brathwaite, who has already played nine Tests, struck 17 fours in an innings lasting 443 balls and which spanned nearly nine hours.
Stoute, also a right-hander, faced 257 balls in 320 minutes at the crease and counted 12 fours and one six.
Brathwaite raised three figures by stroking a short ball from medium-pacer Tonito Willett to the cover boundary in the tenth over of the morning, and was unbeaten on 128 at lunch, with Stoute on 93.
Stoute then reached his century in the fourth over after the break when he punched leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr down the ground for a couple.
They continued to dominate the post-lunch session until Stoute eventually holed out to long-off off pacer Kelbert Walters who was the best bowler with three for 64.
Brathwaite then added 63 for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, who hit an unbeaten 32, to extend the Leewards’ misery.
However, Brathwaite finally fell on the stroke of tea, lbw to pacer Shane Burton.
After a 70-minute rain delay, the Leewards made a strong start with Kieran Powell (12) and Lyndel Richardson (12) putting on 30 for the first wicket.
Once Richardson was taken at slip by Ashley Nurse off Benn, the innings went quickly into decline as the Leewards lost four wickets for ten runs in the space of 32 deliveries.
Scoreboard
LEEWARDS 1st Innings 201
BARBADOS 1st Innings
(overnight 184 for four)
K Brathwaite lbw b Burton 165
R Boucher c Thomas b Walters 0
*K Edwards lbw b Walters 32
S Hope c wkp Hamilton b Walsh 0
J Carter lbw b Burton 4
K Stoute c Powell b Walters 114
+S Dowrich not out 32
Extras (b10, lb8, w15, nb1) 34
TOTAL (6 wkts, 146.3 overs) 381
Did not bat: A Nurse, S Benn, T Best, M Cummins.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-74, 3-83, 4-88, 5-318, 6-381.
Bowling: Walters 33-7-64-3, Willett 17-5-43-0, Martin 33-13-54-0, Walsh 24-2-89-1, Athanaze 22-3-59-0, Burton 12.3-0-32-2, Thomas 5-0-22-0.
LEEWARDS 2nd Innings
K Powell c wkp Dowrich b Nurse 12
L Richardson c Nurse b Benn 12
K Walters c Stoute b Benn 5
S Burton c Stoute b Benn 1
*S Joseph not out 0
Extras (b8, nb2) 10
TOTAL (4 wkts, 11.1 overs) 40
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-34, 3-39, 4-40.
Bowling: Best 2-0-9-0, Cummins 2-0-17-0, Nurse 4-2-2-1, Benn 3.1-2-4-3.
Position: Leewards require a further 140 runs to make Barbados bat again.
Toss: Leewards.
Umpires: J Wilson, M Mikul (Bangladesh)
