KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Test batsman Kraigg Brathwaite found form with a fighting half-century but Barbados Pride were taken apart by veteran off-spinner Shane Shillingford’s seven-wicket haul, leaving the first round Regional four-day contest an open affair heading into today’s final day.
After limiting Windward Islands Volcanoes to a one-run lead on first innings, Pride were in good shape on 181 for four but lost their last six wickets for 88 runs to be dismissed for 269 in their second innings on the penultimate at Arnos Vale Stadium.
Brathwaite top-scored with 72 while wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott got 40 and Justin Greaves, 36, and Jomel Warrican chipped in with 31 in the tail to further boost the visitors total.
Not for the first time, the 36-year-old Shillingford proved the difference, picking up seven for 105 to engineer Pride’s collapse while left-arm seamer Preston McSween (2-52) offered strong support.
Volcanoes will chase a tricky target of 269 runs when they start their innings today.
Resuming on their overnight 230 for seven, Volcanoes added just four runs as Test left-arm spinner Warrican took two of three wickets to fall to end with four for 40.
Brathwaite then put on 46 for the first wicket with left-hander Shane Moseley (21) and a further 37 for the second wicket with Test batsman Shamarh Brooks (12) to give Pride a slow but solid start.
However, once Shillingford ripped one past Brooks’s defensive prod to rattle off-stump, Pride lost three wickets for 40 runs to be 123 for four.
Left-hander Jonathan Carter (8) pushed tentatively at Shillingford and edged to Devon Smith at slip and Brathwaite was brilliantly caught by Kavem Hodge on the second attempt at mid-wicket, after hitting six fours in a 139-ball knock.
Pride resisted, however, courtesy of a 58-run fifth wicket stand between Walcott and Greaves, to reach the safety of tea on 145 without further loss.
Walcott, who faced 75 balls and struck a single four, and Greaves, whose 77-ball innings included two boundaries, pushed on following the resumption before McSween accounted for both.
First, Greaves steered a catch to wicketkeeper Emmanuel Stewart off an innocuous delivery before Walcott hooked and was caught in the deep behind square
