BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Title-holders Barbados, set up by their bowlers and formalised by their batsmen, showed they meant business when they captured first innings points from Guyana in their opening round match of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series at Kensington Oval yesterday.
Replying to Guyana's modest first innings total of 108, Barbados were 120 for two when stumps were drawn on the opening day with Kurt Wilkinson undefeated on 72, eyeing his third regional first-class hundred, and left-hander Floyd Reifer not out on eight.
Sent in to bat, Pedro Collins cruelly exposed the frailty of the Guyana top-order batting with four wickets for 31 runs from 14 overs to send the visitors crashing to 46 for six at the lunch interval.
After the interval, a 60-run, eighth-wicket stand between Mahendra Nagamootoo, whose 38 was the top score, and captain Neil McGarrell with 21 revived Guyana's innings after the visitors had subsided further to 46 for seven.
Gaining bounce and movement from a helpful pitch, Collins removed Azeemul Haniff, Krishna Arjune, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Narsingh Deonarine in an opening spell of 10 overs that cost 13 runs.
Collins, who has played 19 Tests for West Indies, made the breakthrough for Barbados when Haniff was comprehensively beaten and bowled by a well-pitched delivery for four in Collins' third over, the fifth of the day.
Collins, brother of West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards, then had Krishna Arjune caught behind for nought edging a drive, and opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon caught low down at first slip for six in the space of four balls in his fourth over.
Things got worse for Guyana when Collins had Narsingh Deonarine caught at fourth slip for nought and Ian Bradshaw, Collins' clubmate, had Lennox Cush caught behind for 16 to leave the visitors 37 for five.
After Collins was rested at the Joel Garner End, newcomer Ryan Nurse, also known as Chicken Breast, had Vishal Nagamootoo caught behind sparring at a short, rising ball for seven runs.
Tino Best, last season's leading bowler, had Travis Dowlin caught at silly mid-off for nought in the first over after the lunch interval. But Mahendra Nagamootoo and McGarrell spent over 1-1/2 hours defying the Barbadians attack.
Bradshaw, however, made the breakthrough when Nagamootoo was caught at mid-off skying a well-disguised slower delivery to mid-off after striking half-a-dozen fours from 61 balls in 1-3/4 hours.
Ryan Hurley hastened the end with two wickets for six runs in five overs and Bradshaw ended with two for 22 from 10 overs.
With 43 overs available to them and the pitch playing much easier, the Barbadian batsmen capitalised with an array of scintillating strokes. Wilkinson provided the most delight with his sweetly timed drives through the offside, but he lost Sherwin Campbell, his opening partner, when he was caught at first slip off Esaun Crandon for 12.
A partnership of 69 between Wilkinson and left-hander Ryan Hinds pushed Barbados closer to the first innings lead. But Hinds was bowled for 21 when he moved down the pitch to drive a delivery from Cush.
GUYANA 1st innings
A.Haniff b Collins 4
S.Chattergoon c Reifer b Collins 6
K.Arjune c wkpr Browne b Collins 0
L.Cush c wkpr Browne b Bradshaw 16
N.Deonarine c Hinds b Collins 6
T.Dowlin c Mayers b Best 0
+V.Nagamootoo c wkpr Browne b Nurse 7
M.Nagamootoo c Best b Bradshaw 38
*N.McGarrell not out 21
E.Crandon c Reifer b Hurley 0
R.Thomas c Mayers b Hurley 1
Extras: (lb-5, nb-4) 9
Total: (all out) 108
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-14, 3-15, 4-29, 5-37, 6-45, 7-46, 8-106, 9-106.