Pride and Jaguars locked in keen fight

Barbados Pride took two late wickets to leave the scales in the balance on the opening day of their crucial eighth round encounter against the Guyana Jaguars today.

Playing at the Guyana National Stadium, Barbados was limited to 174 for nine after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.

Captain and opener Kraigg Brathwaite topscored with 48, while Jonathan Carter, who scored 27 and Shane Dowrich who retired hurt after scoring 25, were the only other batsmen to pass 20 in a dismal batting performance by the table leaders.

However, fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Chemar Holder fought back as each claimed a wicket to leave the Jaguars struggling on 19 for two at the end of the day’s play.

The Pride, who began the round leading the Jaguars by 31 points in their top of the table clash, seemed headed for a big target when they were cruising on 128 for four.

Kraigg Brathwaite topscored for the Pride.

But a middle order collapse saw the visitors lose their last five wickets for just 46 runs.

They had recovered well after falling to 19 for two after losing the early wickets of Sheyne Moseley for a duck and Shamarh Brooks for nine.

Brathwaite joined forces with Carter, and together the pair added 54 runs before the former was stumped, beaten by a delivery from offspinner Kevin Sinclair.

Despite that setback, Brathwaite found another worthy partner in Dowrich who helped to carry the score to 128 without further loss.

But once left-arm medium pacer Raymon Reifer trapped Brathwaite lbw, Barbados’ batting crumbled.

In all Brathwaite struck five boundaries from 171 balls.

Barbados’ leading run scorer in the tournament Kyle Mayers scored just 17 and West Indies Test captain Jason Holder and Ashley Nurse each fell cheaply for 11.

Fast bowler Keemo Paul was the main destroyer with 3-61, while pacer Romario Shepherd and Reifer took two wickets apiece.

The Jaguars found themselves in early trouble with Roach accounting for the wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (6), while the impressive Holder dismissed Sinclair for just three.

West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer (10 not out) and Leon Johnson who is yet to score, are the unbeaten batsmen at the crease.