BARBADOS’ BOWLING woes have now rubbed off on the batsmen like a contagious ailment.
And for the first time in this year’s WICB Regional First-Class Championship, Barbados are under severe pressure as Guyana’s spin twins Devendra Bishoo and Veersammy Permaul combined to snare five scalps in a dramatic final hour.
As a result Barbados, replying to Guyana’s season-best total of 329, slumped to a disappointing 87 for five at the close of the second day of their fourth round match at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, yesterday.
Teenagers Kraigg Brathwaite, who batted patiently for 30 not out off 87 balls as wickets fell around him, and Roston Chase (four not out) will resume today with the tumultuous task of reviving the Barbados’ innings.
The improving leg-spinner Bishoo has so far taken three for 15 while left-arm spinner Veersammy Permaul has two for 24 as opener Dale Richards (26), Kyle Hope (20), night watchman Jason Holder (0) captain Ryan Hinds (4) and Kevin Stoute (0) are all back in the pavilion.
Earlier, Guyana, resuming from 176 for three overnight, added a further 153 runs before they were dismissed just after tea with captain Assad Fudadin making 84 and Vishaul Singh, 66.
Fudadin, who restarted on 73, added just 11 more runs before he was undone by a delivery from Stoute which cut away from him and he edged a catch to Hinds in the slips.
His knock of 84 spanned 316 minutes and 221 balls and included seven fours and two sixes but the West Indies “A” team left-hander is still without a first-class century in 38 matches.
In the next over, Pedro Collins, who had the best figures of four for 76 in 21.1 overs, struck with his trademark angled delivery across the right-hander.
The resulting edge from an out-of-sorts Royston Crandon, who had pushed and produced for five off 58 balls after taking 39 balls to get off the mark with a fortuitous edged boundary to fine leg, was accepted by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.
Guyana went to lunch on 241 for five and on resumption, Christopher Barnwell added just one more run to his interval score before he was brilliantly caught by Richards at slip for 24 off Hinds, who had bowled a solitary over in the extended morning session.
The diminutive Vishaul Singh, who made a solid 66 off 169 balls with five fours in 212 minutes, was then one of three batsmen to fell with the score on 327, trapped leg before wicket by Collins.
Derwin Christian, who essayed a couple of classical cover drives, fell for 27 when he attempted to hit Hinds out of the ground and edged to Richards at slip.
Guyana went to tea at 327 for eight and the end was swift on resumption with Permaul and Bishoo falling.
But they returned with the ball to mesmerize Barbados after an encouraging 50-run opening stand between Richards and Brathwaite, who counted three consecutive fours off pacer Brandon Bess.
But once Richards opted to sweep at a delivery he reckoned was pitched outside the line of leg stump and was adjudged leg before wicket by Jamaican umpire Norman Malcolm, the collapse started.
Hope again promised so much in a 20-run cameo but gifted his wicket with an injudicious shot, trying to lift Bishoo over the infield and skied a catch for Crandon, running in from mid-off to take.
Barbados sent in Holder as night watchman but unlike the last match against Jamaica, he did not survive, snapped up at forward short leg off Permaul.
The big wicket of Hinds came nine runs later when he went back to cut a delivery from Bishoo which kept fairly low and edged the ball onto his stumps.
Bishoo struck again in the same over, producing a bouncing leg-break which Stoute gently cradled to Leon Johnson at slip.
New batsman Chase executed a classic cover drive for four off his second ball but it will now left to the three products of Combermere School, Brathwaite, Chase and Dowrich, as well as Ryan Layne, who is no rabbit with the bat, to first take Barbados past the follow-on total of 179.
