KYLE?CORBIN’S unbeaten century highlighted the first Barbados trial game in preparation for the Regional Super50 Championship early next year in a match dominated by the batsmen.
Despite Corbin’s undefeated 108, he ended on the losing side as Brathwaite XI overhauled Ashley Nurse XI’s 276 for nine in 46 overs with 279 for six in 43 overs to win by six wickets.
Corbin, who captained Combined Campuses and Colleges to the final of the 2013 Regional Super50 that was won by the Windward Islands, celebrated the news of CCC’s readmission to the competition in style.
He came to the crease at the fall of the first wicket in the 13th over and shared a number of useful partnerships in his mature innings that came off just 99 balls as he stroked nine fours and hit three sixes.
With opener Rashidi Boucher, Corbin shared a second-wicket stand of 58 that steadied the innings. Boucher’s knock was a belligerent one as he struck five sixes and two fours before he became left-arm spinner Joel Warrican’s second wicket.
Kevin Stoute (23) became Corbin’s next partner in a half-century stand before four quick wickets fell as the score declined to 177 for six in the 37th over. Aggressive batting by all-rounders Nurse and Jason Holder, in association with Corbin, bolstered the innings in the late overs. Nurse’s 29 came from 20 balls while Holder belted two sixes in 19 off only eight balls.
Warrican was the most impressive bowler for Brathwaite XI with three for 29 from nine overs while seamer Kevin McClean conceded just five runs in five overs.
Dwayne Smith got Brathwaite XI off to a blistering start. His 72 came from 39 balls with five powerful sixes and seven fours. When he was second out in the 13th over with the score on 94, his team slumped to 106 for five. But Jonathan Carter (62 – 4×4, 3×6) and Shai Hope (54 not out – 3×4) brought Brathwaite XI back into the game with a century stand of the sixth wicket.
After Carter’s dismissal, Brathwaite sealed the game for his team with a 29-ball 50 not out, studded with five fours and three sixes.
