KINGSTON, Jamaica –– Barbados’ defensive batting against the Jamaica franchise in their West Indies Cricket Board Professional Cricket League four-day match at Sabina Park yesterday, has come in for criticism.
Resuming their second innings on 168 for two –– a lead of 250 –– Barbados batted out virtually the rest of the day to end on 303 for nine, an addition of 156 runs and an overall lead 385.
This was in addition to their first-innings score of 310, to which Jamaica replied with 228.
Both teams agreed to call off play at approximately 4 p.m., one hour before the scheduled close.
“I’m disappointed the way the game turned out, but we had virtually no control over it,” said Jamaica captain, Tamar Lambert. “They could have pushed the game more from yesterday [Sunday].
“If I was in their position, I would have put the opposition under a lot more pressure. But having said that, I think we gave up the initiative in the first innings where, after getting the better part of what was a flat wicket, we fell short of their score by 80-odd runs.”
The Barbadians were led in their batting by captain Kraigg Brathwaite who, resuming on 78 overnight, went on to score 90. He batted for seven hours and 28 minutes and faced 171 balls, counting seven fours in the process.
Fast bowler Jason Dawes, the most impressive pacer throughout the match, ended with three for 44 for a match haul of seven for 101, while Lambert, bowling his nagging part-time off-spin from around the wicket, claimed three for 61 off 40 overs.
Barbados went out of the reckoning to retain the title last month when they declared their second innings against the Guyana Jaguars in the return fixture at Kensington Oval, set a target of 333, which the Jaguars duly reached for a four-wicket last day victory after conceding first innings points to the hosts.