CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands, (CMC) - Built upon the foundation of Sherwin Campbell’s highest first-class score and helped by a hat-trick for Sulieman Benn, runaway leaders Barbados captured first innings points over Leeward Islands to retain the Carib Beer Cup in their sixth round match of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series yesterday.
Leeward Islands were 76 for two in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the second day at the Addelita Cancryn Junior High School, after Campbell carried his bat for an undefeated 211 to lift Barbados to a first innings total of 432 and Benn bagged his three-in-a-row on his way to taking four wickets in the home team’s response of 161.
By taking first innings points, Barbados have ensured that no other team can take the Carib Beer Cup, now the symbol of supremacy in the West Indies first-class championship among the six territorial teams. It was the island’s 19th regional title and captain Courtney Browne was in an upbeat mood.
“We are very happy about winning the Carib Beer Cup again,” Browne told reporters in a post-play interview.
“We have a very good structure and I think the Barbados Cricket Association has been working for the last few years with the team very well and so we are all coming together to do a good job for the country.”
Benn hastened Barbados to the Cup when he broke through a worrisome seventh wicket stand to remove Carl Tuckett, the top-scorer with 46, and added Virgil Browne and Kerry Jeremy off the next two balls to end any hopes of a comeback story for Leewards, who lost their last four wickets for four runs in the space of seven balls.
The beanpole Benn, gaining some turn from the surface and prepared to flight the ball, was the most successful Barbados bowler with four for 33 from 13 overs. Ian Bradshaw supported with three for 73 from 17.5 overs.
Leewards were set ack early when stand-in captain Alex Adams was lbw for nought, offering no stroke to the second ball of the innings that swung back from left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins.
Sylvester Joseph entered and blazed away, but Shane Jeffers was finding it difficult to get the ball away and Ian Bradshaw put him out of his misery when the left-hander was caught behind for a duck in the sixth over inside-edging a backfoot drive.
For just over an hour, Joseph and Tonito Willett, son of former West Indies off-spin bowler Elquemedo Willett, kept the Barbados bowlers at bay with a stand of 39 for the third wicket.
Benn, however, got the breakthrough in his third over when Joseph was lbw for 25, offering no stroke to the left-arm spin bowler’s lethal arm-ball to leave Leewards on a shaky 60 for three.
Further resistance came from Carl Tuckett, who has played one season of domestic club cricket in Barbados, and Willett in the form of a fourth-wicket stand of 47 at a little better than a run-a-minute.
Tuckett too, batted freely and spoiled Bradshaw’s previously economical figures with some dynamic strokes either side of the wicket.
But Leewards were slowed down when Bradshaw had Willett caught at first slip for 43, driving loosely. Willett batted 1-3/4 hours, faced 70 balls and struck seven fours.
He was the first of three wickets that fell for seven in the space of nine balls to leave Leewards 114 for six. Wilden Cornwall was run-out for six by Antonio Mayers’ underarm hit at the bowler’s end from short extra cover and Jason Williams was completely befuddled by Ryan Hinds and was bowled for nought.
Tuckett remained unflappable throughout the carnage and added 43 for the seventh wicket with Chaka Hodge. The two were growing in confidence when Tuckett played across Benn’s flatter, faster ball and was adjudged lbw after occupying the crease for close to two hours, facing 90 balls and striking a half-dozen boundaries.
Benn then bowled Browne for a duck, offering no stroke and had Jeremy caught at gully off bat-pad to make him the 10th bowler in the modern West Indies first-class championship to achieve the landmark.
Bradshaw then had Hodge caught behind for 27 to end the innings and ensure that no matter if they lost this match and their next against Trinidad & Tobago at Pointe-a-Pierre, the Cup remained safe and sound in the BCA’s headquarters at Kensington Oval.
With that out of the way, the Barbadians then set about the task of pressing for their sixth victory of the season to give themselves a chance at becoming the first team to win all their preliminary matches since the Championship was expanded to eight teams in 2001.
Bradshaw removed opening batsmen Alex Adams and Shane Jeffers, both caught behind, for 12 and 13 respectively, to become the eighth bowler to take more than 100 wickets for Barbados in the West Indies first-class championship.
Earlier, Campbell continued to take advantage of the ideal conditions to become the latest batsman to carry his bat in the West Indies first-class championship after Barbados continued from their overnight total of 356 for seven. In total, he batted for 7-1/4 hours, faced 336 balls and smote 29 balls.
He added 64 for the ninth wicket with Benn towards the end that broke the Leewards’ spirit and paved the way for the Barbadians to make a meaningful assault on the home team’s batting.
Cornwall was the most successful Leewards bowler with three for 43 from 10.4 overs, while Hodge and Jeremy took two wickets apiece.
BARBADOS 1st innings (overnight 356 for seven)
K. Wilkinson c Cornwall b Browne 21
S. Campbell not out 211
R. Hinds lbw b Hodge 49
F. Reifer c Jeffers b Jeremy 27
D. Smith b Hodge 1
A. Mayers lbw b Cornwall 20
C. Browne run-out (Joseph) 29
R. Hurley c Willett b Jeremy 21
I. Bradshaw lbw b Sanford 12
S. Benn b Cornwall 17
P. Collins lbw b Cornwall 0
Extras: (b-5, lb-6, nb-13) 24
Total: (all out) 432
Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-153, 3-199, 4-203, 5-243, 6-299, 7-335, 8-368, 9-432.