Two Barbadian all-rounders turned in inspirational performances at Kensington Oval yesterday, including maiden centuries, to put Barbados in a strong position to earn an outright win, possibly in three days, over arch rivals Trinidad and Tobago.
Ashley Nurse topscored with an unbeaten 130 while Carlos Brathwaite hit 109 as Barbados reached 479 for eight declared. Brathwaite then took three key wickets, including that of West Indies batsman Darren Bravo, to help the home side dismantle Trinidad’s batting, blowing them away for 120 and earning ascendancy in the match.Â
Asked to follow on, Trinidad and Tobago escaped further alarm, ending the second day on 44 without loss with Ervin Lewis unbeaten on 37 and Adrian Barath on six.
Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn was the main destroyer with the ball but Brathwaite made significant strikes at the top of the innings while Nurse helped to wrap up the tail with two wickets for 27 runs.
From the time Brathwaite replaced Holder at the Joel Garner end, the bowling seemed unplayable. In his first over the tall, strongly built medium-fast bowler, found an edge of Adrian Barath’s bat for Nurse to take a good low catch at second slip leaving Trinidad and Tobago 32 for one.
Shortly after, Lewis, failed to beat Jonathan Carter’s return to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.
Bravo remained scoreless for 16 balls but drove the 17th confidently through the covers for four. Next ball, trying to cut at a delivery that bounced appreciably he edged to keeper Dowrich off the bowling of Brathwaite, who immediately trapped Jonathan Augustus lbw first ball, sending the Trinis to tea at 45 for four.
There would be no recovery after the break. Yannick Cariah saved the hat-trick and was lucky to survive a sharp chance to Jonathan Carter at backward short leg off Benn, but without addition the left-hander again turned a ball into the hands of Carter as the visitors slumped to 54 for five.
Stephen Katwaroo cut Benn straight to Roston Chase at point while Daron Cruikshank edged the same bowler to Nurse at slip. It was also Benn who also ended the resistance of Jason Mohammad (43), lbw pushing forward at 90 for eight.
Earlier, Brathwaite launched an immediate attack when Barbados resumed on 243 for five. He knocked leg-spinner Khan out of the attack after just one over and treated Gabriel with similar disdain. Gabriel temporarily restored the balance with the wickets of Dowrich (53) who hooked to deep square leg after adding three to his overnight score and Holder who fell lbw.
Nurse then dominated a century stand with Brathwaite that produced 190 runs in five minutes short of two hours.
The first 100 came in 68 minutes, 75 of them to Nurse who had a huge advantage in receiving strike. Dropped by keeper Katwaroo off Cruikshank when 31, Nurse brought up his 50 with a stylish off drive and then slapped a delivery in the same over from Cariah through the covers for four.
Barbados earned four batting points and the maximum three bowling points while limiting the visitors to two bowling points.
