CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Their opponents’ conservative tactics and a defiant half-century from Kyle Corbin helped Combined Campuses and Colleges earn a draw against Barbados in the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday.
After their captain Kraigg Brathwaite was dismissed for 91 in the first half-hour, Barbados chose discretion as the best part of valour and batted to almost an hour after lunch to declare on 356 for nine, earning a first innings lead of 87 in the third round match at 3Ws Oval.
But Corbin batted resolutely for an unbeaten 52, as the home team finished on 101 for five in their second innings when the match ended half-hour earlier than scheduled on the final day.
The result meant that Barbados earned eight points, moving to third on 27 points, and CCC collected six points, remaining bottom of the seven-team table on 10 points.
Off-spinner Ashley Nurse grabbed two for 32 from 18 overs and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn grabbed two for 36 from 18 overs to send a few jitters through the CCC, but Corbin held innings together, striking three boundaries from 133 balls in 2-½ hours of batting.
Benn made the breakthrough, when he had opener Shacaya Thomas caught at slip for 21 playing back, and followed up, when he trapped left-hander Raymon Reifer for a 14-ball duck.
Nurse then had Chadwick Walton lbw for one offering no stroke, as CCC reached 45 for three at tea.
After the break, Kavem Hodge resisted the Barbadian attack for half-hour with Corbin before he was caught at square leg for 14 when he miscued a pull at a delivery from Roston Chase, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin.
CCC captain Steven Jacobs spent a further 35 minutes with Corbin before he was caught behind off Nurse for one, edging a loose drive.
Veteran Floyd Reifer, the CCC player/coach, came to the crease and formalised the draw, frustrating the Barbadians further.
Earlier, Kraigg Brathwaite continued his hunt for a fifth first-class hundred, but leg-spinner Akeem Dewar had him caught behind playing defensively forward. He struck just five fours from 320 balls in 403 minutes.
Carlos Brathwaite scored 42 and Shane Dowrich made 39, sharing 63 for the sixth wicket that occupied a little more than two hours and never made a deliberate attempt to increase the scoring rate during their stay at the crease.
Dowrich was caught behind, when he chased a wide ball from left-arm medium-fast bowler Raymon Reifer on the stroke of lunch, leaving Barbados 324 for six.
After the interval, there was still no urgency from the Barbadians, as they lost Jason Holder caught behind with the first ball from Raymond Reifer. Carlos Brathwaite was caught at short leg from off-spinner Ryan Austin’s bowling, and Nurse miscued a pull off Dewar and was taken at long off for 16.
Austin was the most successful CCC bowler with three for 86 from 41 overs, left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican captured two for 57 from 39 overs and Dewar, two for 102 from 37.1 overs.
In the next round, Barbados face long-standing sports rivals Trinidad & Tobago in their only home match at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, and CCC host Guyana at this venue in a day/night fixture.
