Brooks, Carter prop up Pride batting
TAROUBA, Trinidad CMC): BARBADOS PRIDE captain Shamarh Brooks narrowly missed out on a hundred, and left-hander Jonathan Carter supported with a solid halfcentury to help their side make a strong start against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in their Regional 4-Day Championship match yesterday.
Brooks survived a couple of chances to hit 96 and Carter made 72, but they were two of three wickets that fell in the final session to leave the Pride on 267 for five at the close, after they decided to bat on the first day of their seventhround match at the Brian Lara Cricket Ground.
Brooks, the West Indies “A” Team “Test” captain in the recent home series against Sri Lanka “A”, and sidelined West Indies One-day batsman Carter shared a third-wicket stand of 170 that dominated most of the day.
But they, along with Kenroy Williams, were dismissed during the final session as the Red Force fought back, leaving all-rounders Kevin Stoute, not out on 29, and Justin Greaves, not out on 16, to bat through the remainder of the day.
Off-spinner Bryan Charles has been the most successful Red Force so far, taking 2-50 from 18 overs.
Pride had an unsteady start to the day when the flashy left-handed opener Anthony Alleyne was caught behind off left-arm fast-medium bowler Daniel St Clair for 22.
Five overs later, Charles struck when he trapped Shayne Moseley, the other left-handed opener, leg before wicket for 20 to leave Pride 47 for two.
But Carter came to the crease and with Brooks eased the tension in the dressing with periods of consolidation broken with typically enterprising strokes.
They carried the Pride 88 for two at lunch and continued to score freely after the interval during a period when they both raised their half-centuries with aplomb before leading the visitors to 202 for two at tea.
CAUGHT IN THE DEEP
After the break, Carter, whose knock included seven fours and one six from 143 balls, fell within the first half-hour, when he was caught in the deep off Charles.
Brooks hit 11 fours from 199 balls and followed four overs later, when he was trapped leg before wicket to left-arm spinner Ricky Jaipaul.
Pride suffered another setback, when Williams was stumped for two, charging down the pitch and being deceived by veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan to leave the visitors 234 for five, but Greaves came to the crease and settled the nerves with Stoute.