Shakkae Marshall fell three runs short of joining an elite group of players to make a century in the final of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) LIME Under-15 competition, but his sterling knock still enabled Nicholls Baking Combermere to tighten their grip on the title in their match against Queen’s College.
Combermere ended the second and penultimate day at Kensington Oval yesterday on 216 for eight in their second innings, for a lead of 264 runs.
Barbados’ Under-15 batsman Marshall’s 97 came off 181 balls and he counted 12 fours in 223 minutes at the crease.
Resuming from an overnight five without loss, Combermere were in early strife at 30 for three.
Medium-pacer Ajani Ince trapped David Scott lbw for the second time in the match as he played right across to a full length delivery.
Night watchman Jabarry Doughlin got one that cut back from left-arm pacer Ajani Batson, and he was bowled pushing tentatively forward.
After striking two fours down the ground, Shian Brathwaite, who made 106 in the semi-final, suffered a rare second failure. He got a full toss from medium-pacer Kayode Miller but the off-stump was uprooted as he tried to smash it too hard through midwicket.
Batson dropped an easy chance at extra-cover offered by Indal Persaud when he was on seven and the total 55, as he drove at Darian Trotman’s second delivery. The first hour belong to Queen’s College as 51 runs were scored for three wickets from 14 overs.
However, Marshall was in good touch and got off the mark with a flick to the midwicket boundary off Batson. He then had a glance off the hip to fine leg for four off Ince and next over played a lovely on-drive for four off Batson.
Persaud was the prefect foil for his skipper, and Combermere went to lunch without further loss at 100 for three, with Marshall on 51 and Persaud 15. Marshall reached his half-century with his eight four when he banged his namesake Mekhail through cover, by then he had batted 70 minutes and faced 61 balls.
The partnership was broken half an hour after lunch, when Persaud was adjudged leg before, swinging across the fourth ball of a new spell from Ince. He was in for 118 minutes and faced 94 deliveries for a very determined knock of 21.Â
Ince was again in the picture, when Kofie Gilkes drove a catch to Miller at extra cover. Marshall lost momentum in the face of tight bowling from Queen’s College, and the second session realised 47 runs from 25 overs for the loss of two wickets. At tea, Marshall was unbeaten on 77 and Zidan Clarke on nine.Â
After a stand of 43 they were dismissed in consecutive overs with the second new ball.
Clarke, driving loosely was brilliantly caught by Nico Reifer diving full stretch to his left at second slip off Ince for a patient eleven, from 66 balls in 73 minutes.
In the next over, Batson produced a first-class yorker, which got past Marshall’s bat and hit his leg stump.
