Friday, March 29, 2024

Chase Barbados’ saviour

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Test batsman Roston Chase can definitely be called a crisis cricketer as he conjured up another rescue act with the bat yesterday.

After playing a couple face-saving innings for the West Indies in his brief career, Chase came to Barbados’ salvation on the first day of their eighth round match in the Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at Kensington Oval.

Chase cleverly and carefully compiled his seventh first-class century as he and his Empire teammate Justin Greaves, who made an attractive 60 with nine fours off 94 balls in 136 minutes, rescued Barbados from the dire straits of 31 for five with a 130-run sixth-wicket partnership.

Along with a polished 49, laced with nine fours off 73 balls by debutant wicket-keeper/batsman Tevyn Walcott, who added a further 97 vital runs for the seventh wicket with Chase, Barbados rallied to a respectable 296 for nine off 90 overs at the close of play.

Kemar Roach was not out 24, alongside Jomel Warrican with Barbados needing four more runs for a third batting point.

Chase, 25, a tall, languid right-hander, fell just before the close for 114 after batting for 317 minutes, facing 225 balls and striking 11 fours and two sixes.

He made the Volcanoes pay dearly for dropping an easy catch he offered on 14 off experienced off-spinner Shane Shillingford before becoming one of three late wickets for left-arm spinner Larry Edwards, whose 20 overs cost 71 runs.  

The early damage was done by pacers Delorn Johnson (2-21) and Shermon Lewis (2-36), who shared the first four wickets as Barbados started disastrously after being sent in on a grassy pitch and patchy outfield with several dry and sandy areas.

Left-handed openers Shayne Moseley and Anthony Alleyne fell cheaply for two and seven as they edged catches to Roland Cato at second slip off Johnson and Lewis respectively  

Lewis also uprooted Jonathan Carter’s middle stump for a first-ball “duck” while Cato claimed a brilliant left-handed catch, diving in front of first slip to remove with captain Shamarh Brooks for 10 off Johnson.

When the seasoned Kevin Stoute gifted his hand for four in the first over from experienced off-spinner Shane Shillingford, half the Barbados side were back in the pavilion for 31.

 

Slow start

But Chase, who started very slowly, scoring a solitary run while facing 35 balls in his first 50 minutes at the crease and Greaves, took the score to 61 for five at lunch.

Unlike Chase, Greaves looked positive from the outset, whipping Lewis through mid-wicket and cover-driving the same bowler for boundaries.

On resumption, the turning point came when Chase, sweeping at Shillingford before he had added from his lunch score of 14, was badly dropped at short fine leg.  When Lewis was re-introduced at the northern end, Chase and Greaves quickly knocked him out of the attack with a couple of boundaries.

Chase also went after Edward, lifting him straight six and over long-on for sixes in the same over.

Greaves brought up his 50 off 72 balls in style with extra cover and square driven fours off Johnson before celebrating with a third consecutive four over the cover fielders.

Greaves’ 136-minute knock ended just before tea when he was well caught at short leg by Kavem Hodge, pushing forward at Shillingford.        

This brought in the 23-year-old newcomer Walcott and the former Deighton Griffith and St Michael schoolboy, swept his first ball to long leg for four as Johnson injured himself when he slipped, trying to stop the ball inside the boundary ropes.

Watched by his mother Charmaine and teammates in the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme, Walcott, who hails from Butler’s Land in Gall Hill, Christ Church, also swept the last ball before tea for his second boundary as Barbados went into the interval at 171 for six.

On resumption, Walcott got a reprieve on 14 but blossomed to execute two classic cover drives off fast-medium bowler Kyle Mayers, one of two Bajans in the Volcanoes team, along with former national captain and West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards.

Chase also progressed swiftly from his tea-time score of 68, eventually posting his century with a cut off Mayers for four.

Walcott fell one short of a half-century, when he pulled a short delivery from Edward to short mid-wicket where substitute Thomas took a low catch, diving to his left.

Chase also went just before the close, driving Edward into Hodge’s hands in the covers while Haydn Walsh was caught at the wicket off Edward. (EZS)

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