Pride Dominate… Brathwaite, Drakes lash centuries

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Jonathan Drakes recorded centuries as Barbados Pride dominated day one of their second round game in the West Indies Championship against West Indies Academy on Wednesday.

Playing under lights in the “pink-ball” contest at Kensington Oval, veteran Brathwaite struck an unbeaten 143 to mark his 33rd first class hundred while Drakes, 30, hit 117 – his second century at this level – the pair propelling the hosts to 354 for three at the close.

The 32-year-old Brathwaite, who missed the opening round due to Test commitments in Pakistan, faced 241 balls and struck 14 boundaries in a chanceless innings which spanned nearly six-and-a-quarter hours.

Drakes, meanwhile, counted 14 fours and four sixes in a knock which lasted 176 deliveries and consumed just over three-and-a-half hours.

Coming together in the opening session after the fall of opener Zachary McCaskie for 49, Brathwaite and Drakes put on 228 for the second wicket before being separated in the final session.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, Pride were handed a strong start by Brathwaite and McCaskie, the pair posting 96 for the first wicket with relative ease.

The 28-year-old right-handed McCaskie faced 66 balls and struck five fours and a six, and appeared set for an eighth first class fifty when he missed a sweep at left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop and was lbw.

Brathwaite and Drakes then carried the hosts to the break on 114 without further loss before dominating the second session by adding 154 runs, as Pride reached the second interval on 270 for one.

Unbeaten on 47 at the first break, Brathwaite notched three figures during the second session with a sharp single to cover off Bishop, to be 119 not out at the start of the final session.

Drakes, unbeaten on nine and 84 at the previous intervals, enjoyed a stroke of luck in his 90s when he was put down by wicketkeeper Carlon Bowen-Tuckett. However, he recovered well to reach his landmark in style in the seventh over after the resumption from the dinner break, with a sweetly timed cover drive for four off pacer Jediah Blades.

He eventually fell when he got a leading edge back to fast bowler Johann Blades and Kevin Wickham followed cheaply for nine, playing on to speedster McKenny Clarke.

(ZM/BT)