Windward's Intermediate side started their assault on the Barbados Defence Force on Saturday December 10th, on the first of the three day Semi Final match. Winning the toss and opting to field first, the Lucas Street Lads quickly put the BDF on the back foot, taking the first 3 wickets within the first hour of play, while allowing just 42 runs. The wickets continued to tumble, when Amari Wiggins took his third of the day with the scoreboard showing 65-4, and by tea the score had moved on to 78/7, with Wiggins claiming 4 wickets while Jonathan Griffith, Shakeem Blades and Ronaldo Callender all had 1 a piece. BDF batsmen Antonio Greenidge and Rico Hurley put up a good defence after the break, carrying the score to 148 when Hurley was bowled by Griffith, followed shortly by Damian Farley who also fell victim to Griffith's bowling. Greenidge was finally dismissed when he was caught by Rashoun Archer on the boundary, having hit 75 of the 178 runs in the BDF first innings. Wiggins ended the day with 4 for 45 from 13 overs while Griffith took 3 for 39 from 10. Blades was responsible for 2 for 21 from 11.4 overs, and Ronaldo Callender was 1 for 28 from his 3 overs.
With just 30 minutes of light remaining in the day, Kastun Stoute and Alan Branch opened the batting for the Sagicor supported side and the pair quickly set about putting up an impressive score of 68 without loss in 7 overs, Stoute getting his 50 from 22 balls, hitting four 6s and five 4s on the way. When play resumed on the following day, there was an air of excitement among the Windward supporters, but this was quickly tempered when Branch was caught behind in the second over of the day with just 7 runs having been added to the board. Stoute was then dismissed LBW 5 overs later, having 78 runs to his credit and the score having moved on to 113. Naje Bishop's wicket was next to fall, with him having added a single run to the score when he was bowled by Devon Carrington. Next to fall victim was Latrell Greenidge with 31 runs having been caught by Damian Farley off the bowling of Hurley and the scoreboard now reading 146/4, bringing Jafari Toppin to the crease to join Blades, but this partnership was short lived as Toppin was retuned to the clubhouse with just 2 runs in his account having been bowled by Rico Wiggins. Callender replaced Toppin in the middle, but he too was sent packing by R. Wiggins, the score now on 165/6. Lamar Springer joined Blades in the middle and the pair managed to stem the BDF bowling attack with a spell of responsible batting and gained the all important first innings lead, when Blades was dismissed LBW having 41 runs to his credit and the score now on 195/7. Windward would end the innings with 204 all out and a lead of just 26 runs.
BDF made good use of the time remaining in the day, quickly putting up a score of 112/2 when umpires ended play on the second day. The final day of the match takes place tomorrow, Saturday December 17th starting at 12:30pm at Friendship ground, St. Michael. Pictures from the First and Second days can be viewed on our website, and video highlights from the two days, compliments of AJ Hinds, are on our Youtube channel.
Comments