Hinds, 113, gives Bajans upper hand

A CONFIDENT Ryan Hinds recorded his second regional First Class century (113) for Barbados on the second day of the Carib Beer Cricket Series 10th round match at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain yesterday. And together with valuable contributions from Sherwin Campbell (51), Dale Richards (71) and Corey Collymore (15) Hinds led the Bajans to a 59-run first innings lead over Trinidad and Tobago.

Left-handed Hinds displayed sound temperament when Barbados on 225 for eight wickets, appeared on the verge of surrendering first innings points. But he guided Collymore, a less than capable batsman, to post an invaluable 73-run ninth wicket partnership. And when play closed, Trinidad and Tobago were reeling on 47 for three wickets, still 12 runs in arrears, as Collymore came back to snare the wickets of Tishan Maraj, Dwayne Bravo and Rayad Emrit. Hinds was last man out for a brilliant century which came off 185 balls and included 17 fours to the delight of the sprinkling of Barbadian supporters at the Oval yesterday.

But while the honours belonged to Hinds and his Barbadian colleagues, especially the attacking Richards and Collymore, local supporters were left to wonder about skipper Daren Ganga’s the tactics in sending Emrit to open the second innings with Tishan Maraj. Wicketkeeper and captain Courtney Browne took a spectacular tumbling catch down the leg side to dismiss Bravo with the Trinidad and Tobago total on  17 for two.

Much will be expected from not out batsmen Ricardo Powell (24) and Gregory Mahabir five, today, if Trinidad and Tobago are to set the Bajans any kind of target in the hope of another come-from-behind victory and a place in the Carib Beer Shield final. Barbados resumed on six without loss, and soon lost Martin Nurse without addition. But veteran batsman Sherwin Campbell and Richards defied the Trinidad and Tobago attack in accumulating a 103-run second wicket partnership, to wrest the initiative from the local team.