Big wins in two days for Maple, Pickwick

Bridgetown, Barbados - Defending champions CGI Maple and ESA Field Pickwick both inevitably completed comprehensive wins inside two days as five batsmen slammed centuries on an enthralling second day of Series 7 in the BCA Elite division championship.

Maple mauled rock-bottom Guardian General Barbados Youth by an innings and 74 runs at the Lester Vaughan ground, Cane Garden to gain the maximum 20 points which ensured they will remain in second position behind strong title favourites ICBL Empire, while Pickwick eased their relegation worries with a nine-wicket success over lacklustre LIME, who are second last.

It was Maple's third win, carrying them to 71 points - Empire who started the series on 89 points have already been guaranteed nine points against CounterPoint Wanderers - while Pickwick picked up their first victory and earned 14 points to move to 49, leaving LIME on 37. Barbados Youth are on 13.

Shane Parris, the elegant 21-year-old Maple batsman, hit the most attacking as well as the highest - a career-best 135 - of the five centuries, which lifted the number for the season to 21.

It was Parris' second hundred in successive innings and the third of his top league career, which started five years ago as a 16-year-old for the now demoted Banks while a schoolboy at Coleridge & Parry. His other century was for Barbados Youth in 2011.

A right-handed batsman, who also bowls left-arm spin, Parris raced to his hundred in 109 minutes off 103 balls with 11 fours and six sixes after starting the day on 63 with Maple 141 for three in reply to a paltry first innings total of 83.

His knock lasted for 129 minutes during which he received 119 balls and counted 14 fours and eight sixes in a total of 303 for eight declared off 50 overs.

Barbados Youth, the whipping boys in what has been easily their worst ever showing since promotion and demotion started in 2009, were bowled out for 146 in 42.1 overs in the second innings, thus suffering their fourth defeat of the season.

The other century-makers today were the Sagicor Life UWI pair of non-nationals, Kavem Hodge and Yannick Ottley; Antonio Greenidge of BDFSP and Empire's Kevin Stoute.

Parris, Hodge and Stoute have now emulated three other batsmen - Kyle Hope (Pickwick), Kyle Corbin (UWI) and Kenroy Williams (Brathwaite Construction/Republic Bank St. Catherine) in scoring two centuries for the season.

Hodge, a 21-year-old Dominican who has played at the first-class level for both the Windward Islands and Combined Campuses & Colleges, made 123, while Ottley, a Trinidadian all-rounder also with first-class experience and who celebrated his 23rd birthday on September 7, scored an unbeaten 124.

The pair featured in a double-century second-wicket stand as UWI amassed 300 for six declared off 68.5 overs from an overweek 30 for one against Massy Stores Spartan at the 3Ws Oval.

Faced with a first innings deficit of 129, Spartan closed on 20 for one in their second innings.

Greenidge, a 23-year-old left-hander and product of St. George Secondary, scored 127 - his third hundred in the top league and second in three seasons for BDFSP - the other was for Empire in 2010 - as BDFSP made 245 all out after resuming on 64 for two, for a first innings lead of 46 against St. Catherine at Bayfield.

The home side will start the final day on 77 for three in their second innings.

Stoute, captain of the champion Barbados team in this year's NAGICO Super50 tournament in Trinidad & Tobago, hit 106 to help put Empire in a position from which they can press for a victory at Dayrells Road.

Empire, starved of the title since 2004 and hunting a modern-era sixth straight win as the club celebrates its 100th anniversary year, amassed the day's highest total of 310 for six off 61 overs after Wanderers were bowled out for 226 from an overweek 225 for nine.

It was the seventh century at this level for the 28-year-old Stoute, who has also represented West Indies 'A'.

At Lester Vaughan, Cane Garden:

A win was always on the cards for Maple. It was only a matter of how soon and the Trents-based, St. James team won by an innings and 74 runs just after 5 p.m.

The quiet, unassuming Shane Parris dominated a fourth wicket partnership of 103 with left-hander Orman Kellman, who was yet to score when Maple resumed on 141 for three off 26 overs.

Parris' 135 followed a knock of 103 against BDFSP at Paragon. His century (108) in 2011 for Barbados Youth was made against St. Catherine at Cane Garden.

Kellman scored 29 and Joel Michael Leacock contributed 34 today in a total of 303 for eight declared off 50 overs.

With a deficit of 220, Barbados Youth crumbled for 146 in 43.1 overs.

Jadeja Edwards topscored with 39 which included three sixes at No. 10, captain Zachary McCaskie contributed 29 and Hasani Newton, 26.

Edwards and Warren Scantlebury (four not out) put on 43 for the last wicket after five wickets had tumbled for just four runs.

Off-spinners again did the most damage with Ramon Greaves taking three for 20 off 13.2 overs and Shane Ramsay, three for 33 off 10.4 overs. Seamer Khalid Springer picked up 17 off 6.1 overs.

It was the second time this season Barbados Youth had lost by an innings inside two days. They went under by an innings and 134 runs to St. Catherine at Bayfield in the fourth round.

At Wildey:

LIME had another disastrous day and were crushed by nine wickets.

Already under severe pressure by their astonishing decision to declare at 47 for seven in their first innings just to deny Pickwick the maximum four bowling points, LIME's batting again let down down.

After Pickwick lasted only six more overs to be dismissed for 150 in 50 overs, having started the day on 137 for nine - Barbados and West Indies 'A' team off-spinner Ashley Nurse picked up the last wicket to finish with six for 53 off 18 overs on the eve of his departure for India to represent Barbados Tridents in the Champions League Twenty20 League - LIME were bowled out for 137 in 56.4 overs in their second innings.

Opener Aubrey Towler's 33 was the topscore while three other batsmen passed 20 - Nurse (28) Kemar Brathwaite (21) and Cyprian Payne (21 not out).

Left-arm spinner Raymond Casimir, a 37-year-old Dominican who has played two first-class matches and is the brother of West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford, grabbed five for 38 off 23.4 overs in his second local three-day match at this level, while experienced off-spinner Romelle Small picked up two for 19.

Pickwick took only seven overs to knock off the 35 needed for victory, which was achieved at 5:19 p.m.

At 3Ws Oval:

The pressure is again on the Spartan batsmen if they are to avoid defeat.

Spurred by centuries from Kavem Hodge (123) and Yannick Ottley (124 not out), UWI scored 300 for six declared in 68.5 overs after starting the day on 30 for one off seven overs in reply to Spartan's first innings of 171 all out in 56.3 overs.

Hodge, who resumed on 17 and Ottley, who was on three, put on 218 in 207 minutes for the third wicket.

Hodge was first to his century in 170 minutes off 112 balls with 11 fours after bringing up his fifty in 97 minutes off 65 deliveries with seven boundaries, while Ottley got to his ton in 236 minutes off 175 balls, striking 11 boundaries as well. His half-century came in 131 minutes off 101 balls with seven fours.

Spartan lost Barbados opener Rashidi Boucher for four and at 20 for one, they must show their batting mettle to avoid a second defeat for the season, having lost by one wicket to long-standing rivals Empire at Queen's Park in Series 4.

At Bayfield:

This match continues to hold great interest as the immediate attention is on how well St. Catherine can bat in their second innings.

At least they fought back despite Antonio Greenidge's century to restrict BDFSP to a first innings lead of 46 after they resumed on 64 for two with Greenidge on 36 and Mario Rampersaud, 21.

The pair carried their third wicket stand, which was easily dominated by Greenidge, to 103 before Rampersaud fell to a catch at slip off left-arm spinner Derick Bishop for 26.

By tea, BDFSP had reached 217 for six off 63 overs but the last four wickets fell quickly for 12 runs with all four going to off-spinner Kenroy Williams, who finished with six for 52 off 23.4 overs in a total of 245 all out in 73.4 overs.

All told, Greenidge batted for 171 minutes, faced 162 balls and struck 15 fours and one six for his 127 after reaching his hundred in 123 minutes off 112 balls with 15 fours and one six.

St. Catherine closed on 77 for three in their second innings - an overall of 31. Off-spinner Renaldo Brathwaite picked up two for 18 off six overs.

At Dayrells Road:

Wanderers would have always been wary that the much vaunted Empire batting of which six of the first seven have first-class experience, was likely to put pressure on their bowlers.

Empire did not disappoint.

After taking 20 balls to wrap up the Wanderers first innings at 226 in 78.3 overs from an overweek 225 for nine, Empire's 310 for six off 61 overs at stumps was set up by a third wicket partnership of 166 in 34.5 overs between Roston Chase and Kevin Stoute.

Chase missed out on a second century this season, scoring 83 in 175 minutes off 121 balls with nine fours and one six before falling to off-spinner Kemar Craigg.

Stoute next followed for 106 off another off-spinner, Gary Belle. He batted for 176 minutes, received 117 balls and hit six fours and five sixes.

Alnico Holder was soon dismissed for four, another victim of Belle, before veteran all-rounder Ryan Hinds and old stager Shawn Graham added 57 in 12.4 overs for the sixth wicket.

Graham made 20 while left-hander Hinds was unbeaten on 52 in 77 minutes off 51 balls with six fours and one six.

Pacer Shakeem Clarke, the son of the late Barbados, West Indies and Surrey County fast bowler Sylvester Clarke, took two for 32 off nine overs, while Craigg picked up two for 44 and Belle, two for 64 - both off 11 overs.

First Published On bcacricket.org.