Wanderers humble Youth

LEFT-ARM spinner Chad Clarke-Reifer completed a five-wicket haul to prise out Guardian General Barbados Youth’s defiant batsmen and help Counterpoint Wanderers earn a six-wicket victory in their first series match on their return to the LIME Elite Division yesterday.
Barbados Youth, resuming on 98 for four after Wanderers posted 257 for six declared in reply to the home side’s 137, rallied to 220 despite losing two wickets by the run out route. Nicholas Kirton, starting the day on 21, was run out for
a top score of 42 while wicketkeeper batsman Yvan Grant fell in similar fashion after a breezy counter-attacking innings of 27. Shamar Springer, who was involved in both run outs made a solid 32 before being caught at the wicket by Renaldo Arthur off Clarke-Reifer in the final over before tea.
Clarke Reifer, who had taken two wickets the previous evening, added the scalps of Matthew Jones and Akeem Bourne to finish with five for 48. Medium fast bowler Craig Emanuel took three for 35.
With Wanderers set 101 for victory in a minimum of 29 overs, Jonathan Drakes then led his side home with a measured unbeaten knock of 37 while left-arm spinner Matthew Jones took two for 43.
 
At Bayfield:
BRATHWAITE?Construction Republic Bank St Catherine threw away their chances of pressing for an outright victory by letting LIME?off the hook as their first series match ended in a tame draw.
Set 206 to win from 29 overs, St Catherine finished on 125 for five when play was called off at the end of the second of the last 15 overs. LIME, facing a first innings deficit of 36 runs, were earlier bowled out for a defiant 242.
Veteran Courtney Browne was the architect of the recovery with 92 after St Catherine’s two left-arm fast bowlers, Darnell Greendige and Michael Holder, had LIME?stumbling at 38 for five.
Browne capitalised on some missed chances and with wicketkeeper Cyprian Payne, who made 29, revived LIME with a sixth-wicket partnership of 118 runs.
The former Barbados captain and West Indies wicket-keeper struck 11 fours and two sixes until he was caught by wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott, when Greenidge returned for a second spell. Greenidge finished with four for 46.
In an initial victory chase, Patrick Browne played some exciting shots in an unbeaten 52 which contained nine fours and two sixes while Kenroy Williams made a fluent 43. (AI)
 
At Queen’s Park:
OFF-SPINNER Chaim Holder took five for 57 but it was too late to allow his team, Super Centre Spartan, to successfully challenge the victory target of 227 set by the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP).
In the end, the match ended in a draw after only six of the mandatory 15 overs were bowled with Spartan, who never went in hunt of the target, on 35 for one.
Resuming at the overnight score of 24 for one, the BDFSP batsmen batted steadily to reach 239 off 65.5 overs. Akeem Greenidge led the batting with a polished innings of 64 inclusive of four fours and four sixes. He took 64 deliveries to reach his half century.
Greenidge got sound support from Dario Boyce (48). However, a last-wicket partnership of 43 in just under an hour   between pacers Dario Seale and Michael Sobers took the match beyond the reaches of Spartan. (EH)
 
At Foursquare:
IT?TOOK?ICBL Empire just 90 minutes to complete a comprehensive triumph over ESAF Pickwick by an innings and 62 runs to open the season with the maximum 20 points.
Already four wickets down and still some 128 runs behind on first innings, Pickwick surrendered their remaining six wickets in 26.3 overs for the addition of 66 runs to be dismissed for 137.
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican grabbed three of the wickets yesterday to record a five-wicket haul while both overnight batsmen Jamal Phillips and Rohan Ryan fell by the run out route.
Empire captain Jamal Smith called on only three bowlers with Warrican (5-32) operating in an unchanged spell from the southern end while Roston Chase (2-25) and Shadd Simmons shared duties at the north. (WH)
 
At Trents:
DESPITE a valiant effort from Sagicor UWI, title-holders CGI Maple held on for a very tense draw in their opening series match.
Set 239 to win from a minimum of 64 overs, Maple finished on 219 for nine, when bad light ended play with five overs left. They were reduced to 138 for eight but Khalid Springer with an unbeaten 32 and Shane Ramsay (26) added 50 for the ninth-wicket to give them some hope.  Springer then found a useful partner in Ramon Greaves (14 not out) but the light had the final say. Joel Leacock struck a fine 42, before he was caught off Yannick Ottley, who took three for 41.
Earlier, from an overnight 138 for four, UWI made 209 for five declared. Shacaya Thomas, who restarted on 60 with Floyd Reifer on 23, extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 109 before Reifer fell for 41.
Thomas remained undefeated on 109. He faced 131 balls, in 216 minutes, striking seven threes and three fours.
It was the second hundred at this level for the Jamaican.
 (EDH)