Smith (114) lifts B’dos to 1st innings points

BRIDGETOWN: Dwayne Smith constructed a superb 114 yesterday to propel Barbados to a healthy first innings lead over Guyana and a near certain place in the Carib Beer International Challenge cricket final. Barbados, the defending champions, stretched their 138 for three overnight to 367 for eight at close on the third day of the semi-final at Kensington Oval. Guyana were bowled out for 310 in their first innings. “I rate it as my best innings because I’ve never played like this before,” the 20-year-old Smith said. “Everybody was looking for me to play a lot of shots so I decided I was going to show people out there that I can also bat for long periods of time and still get runs,” he added. Smith struck six fours and four sixes in his knock, which spanned 210 balls and 233 minutes.

Sherwin Campbell (91) and Ryan Hinds (56) also lent steel to the middle order of the Barbados team, which has already been crowned regional Carib Beer Cup winners for 2004. Left-hander Ian Bradshaw chipped in with an undefeated 33 and shared an important seventh wicket stand of 50 with Smith after Barbados slipped to 270 for six in mid-afternoon play. Mahendra Nagamootoo (three for 97) and Damodar Daesrath (two for 30) earned the best figures for the visitors, who toiled without much penetration all day. The Guyanese gained early success when Hinds was caught behind off fast bowler Rayon Griffith 15 minutes into the day at 155 for four. The left-hander edged a cut after adding eight runs to his overnight 48. The 23-year-old hit six fours off 162 balls. But the confident Smith shared three consecutive half century stands with Campbell, skipper Courtney Browne and Bradshaw to give Barbados the initiative. Campbell fell just after lunch, nine runs short of a second century of the tournament. The diminutive former Test opener hit six boundaries off 270 balls in six hours before he prodded a catch to short leg off Travis Dowlin’s off-spin.

Browne (16) was content to let Smith do the bulk of the scoring in their association before he holed out to deep midwicket off left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell. His dismissal left Barbados wobbly at 270 for six as the Guyanese, in a healthy crowd of 4,000, sniffed a fightback. But Bradshaw batted with typical poise as he and the more enterprising Smith pushed Barbados to the vital first innings lead. The 20-year-old Smith, a century-maker on Test debut last month in South Africa, brought up three figures just before tea. He made sure the job was complete before perishing as he attempted to play with more freedom, lofting a catch to long-off. Bradshaw and Pedro Collins (15) continued to grind the Guyanese in a stand of 44 for the eighth wicket. Collins was Nagamootoo’s third victim just before the close, skying a catch to extra cover.