AN ACCOMPLISHED career-best 81 by Shai Hope saw ESA Field Pickwick reach a satisfying 271 for seven against TeleBarbados Carlton yesterday.After being invited to bat, the visitors batted all day under mostly overcast skies during the first day of the fifth series of matches in the LIME Division 1 championship.Wicket-keeper/batsman Hope, just back from St Lucia where he represented Barbados in the TCL Group WICB Under-19 Tournament, entered the fray at 64 for two when the veteran George Harris was lbw for 33.  His elder brother Kyle Hope made 37 with four fours and a six onto the pavilion before he was well caught by Kirk Gibson low to his left at point off Ryan Clarke. The 16-year-old Shai, a student of Queen’s College, and Rondell Yearwood put on 101 for the fourth wicket either side of tea, which was taken at 123 for three. Hope was then on 23 and Yearwood 17.Yearwood was lbw for 42, which included six fours from 76 balls in just under two hours.The right-handed Hope looked assured in both defence and attack and played some lovely drives through the covers that brought a number of his ten fours. Whenever it was short he was also quick to pounce on it with pulls. He also struck a six over mid-wicket with effortless ease off Alex Bridgeman. He was at the crease for 199 minutes and faced 170 balls before he was lbw on the back foot to medium-fast Clarke with the second new-ball. Clarke has so far taken three for 59 and Dawayne Sealy two for 49, both with the second new-ball.Pickwick lost three quick wickets but Adeko Collymore with 19 and Antonio Thomas (15), have featured in an unbroken attacking stand of 40 for the ninth wicket that have given Pickwick the definite advantage.
