BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Shamarh Brooks hit his 12th first class half-century and his third of the Regional four-day season, to lead a Barbados Pride recovery against Leeward Islands Hurricanes on the opening day of the sixth round encounter here yesterday.
Slumping at 19 for two early in the morning at Kensington Oval, Pride finished on 302 for eight, with the right-handed Brooks top-scoring with 63.
Test batsman Roston Chase made 49 while West Indies left-handed Jonathan Carter extended his decent form from the one-day series against England with 46.
Captain Kevin Stoute weighed in with 41 and Justin Greaves and Jomel Warrican both ended unbeaten on 30 to further rally the Pride innings.
Veteran seamer Gavin Tonge (3-39) and Test rookie Alzarri Joseph (3-39) were the best bowlers on show with three wickets apiece.
Opting for first knock, Pride found themselves in trouble when they lost left-handed openers Omar Phillips (6) and Anthony Alleyne (11) cheaply inside the first hour.
Phillips edged a prod at Tonge to be caught at the wicket in the sixth over and 12 balls later, Alleyne drove the same bowler to Kacey Carty at mid-off.
Brooks then combined with Chase to put on 106 for the third wicket, a partnership which took Pride to the safety of lunch at 116 without further loss.
They were separated in the fourth over following the resumption when Chase edged Tonge to captain Kieran Powell at second slip, after facing 47 balls in just over 1-3/4 hours and counting six fours a six.
His departure triggered a slide as three wickets tumbled for 19 runs to leave the hosts on 144 for five.
It was then the turn of Carter and Stoute to revive the innings, putting on 75 for the sixth wicket, to carry Pride to tea at 212 for five.
Carter struck seven fours off 103 balls in nearly two hours at the crease while Stoute hit two fours and two sixes off 102 deliveries.
When three wickets fell for 38 runs, Greaves and Warrican ensured the tail wagged by adding 45 in an unbroken ninth wicket partnership.