LUCAS STREET, Barbados, (CMC) - Maurice Odumbe continued to befuddle batsmen with his crafty off-spin in the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series when he brought Kenya back into their fifth round match against Barbados at Windward Sports Club yesterday.
Odumbe captured six wickets for 64 runs from 25 overs as unbeaten front-runners Barbados were stricken with another case of the mad batting disease and were dismissed for 221, replying to Kenya’s first innings total of 171, about 40 minutes after tea that had been delayed by half-hour to compensate for time lost earlier.
When bad light stopped cricket 11 overs early on a rain-affected second day, the visitors were 27 for two.
Left-hander Floyd Reifer hit seven fours and one six in the top score of 50 from 63 balls in just over 1-1/2 hours, captain Courtney Browne scored 42 and three other batsmen got into the 30s for Barbados, but all were guilty of not carrying on against disciplined, if not fearsome bowling from the Kenyans.
Kenya had immediate success after Barbados continued from their bedtime position of 45 without loss. Opening batsman Martin Nurse was caught at slip for 32 off Odumbe in the second over of the day.
For the next half-hour, Sherwin Campbell and Ryan Hinds diligently pursued their team’s objective, but there was a break lasting close to 40 minutes for rain that slowed them down.
On resumption, the two continued to bat doggedly, but Campbell was dubiously caught at slip off Peter Ongondo for 31, hooking at a short ball that he suggested may have ricocheted from his shoulder -- and not the bat - in the last 15 minutes before lunch.
Another stoppage for rain drove the players off the field about 10 minutes before the interval and prompted an early lunch with Barbados on 83 for two. The players, however, did not come back onto the field until about 20 minutes after the scheduled end of the lunch interval.
When play continued, Reifer and fellow left-hander Ryan Hinds batted at almost a run-a-minute to complete a stand of 74 for the third wicket. The two stroked the ball crisply and were prepared to use their feet to Odumbe and fellow off-spin bowler Steve Tikolo, the Kenyan captain.
The mad batting that has afflicted the Barbadians for most of the season erupted when Hinds was caught at mid on off Odumbe for 35, essaying an on-drive, Shawn Graham was lbw to Odumbe for one, playing back to a faster ball, and Reifer was bowled by Odumbe to leave the defending double crown champions 161 for five.
Browne using the proverbial ‘long handle’ propelled them to 190 for five at tea, but following the break things became unravelled and the Barbadians lost their last five wickets for 31 runs in 9.2 overs with Tikolo ending with three for 45 from 16 overs.
Faced with 27 overs in chilly, windy, overcast conditions before the close, the Kenyans lost Kennedy Otieno lbw to Pedro Collins for two in the third over and fellow opening batsman Ravindu Shah bowled by Tino Best for six in the ninth over.
Barbados head the standings with a maximum 48 points from four victories and Kenya are sixth with 16 points.
KENYA 1st innings 171 (K. Otieno 52; P. Collins 5-57)
BARBADOS 1st innings (o/n 45 without loss)
S. Campbell c Shah b Ongondo 31
M. Nurse c Shah b Odumbe 32
R. Hinds c Onyango b Odumbe 35
F. Reifer b Tikolo 50
S. Graham lbw b Odumbe 1
C. Browne c Ongondo b Odumbe 42
A. Mayers c Shah b Tikolo 3
S. Benn c Ongondo b Odumbe 13
R. Nurse c Obuya b Tikolo 0
T. Best c Ongondo b Odumbe 0
P. Collins not out 0
Extras: (b-4, lb-1, nb-9) 14
Total: (all out) 221
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-74, 3-148, 4-161, 5-161, 6-190, 7-216, 8-216, 9-221.