Digicel Regional 4 Day Cricket … Braithwaite and Hope tons put Pride in charge with record double century stand

Mar 24, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....ouble-century-stand/

By Sean Devers in Barbados in association with Stag Beer and Vnet Communications

History was made yesterday when the first ever Regional First-Class match with a rest day after the penultimate day commenced at the Kensington Oval. When stumps were drawn, Barbados Pride, led by a record 205 second-wicket partnership by Test players Kraigg Braithwaite (143) and Shai Hope (118* ) were 293-2 0ff 94 overs against leaders Guyana Jaguars.
The 24-year-old Braithwaite, in his second match of the tournament and first for Barbados since last month’s Super50, stroked 17 fours from 238 balls and 290 minutes, his 19th First-Class ton, 10th at Regional level and 3rd against Guyana.
The 23 year-old Hope has faced 257 balls, batted for 295 minutes, reached the boundary 15 times and cleared it twice in his fifth hundred and second against Guyana. With Hope is Shamarh Brooks (15); Raymon Reifer and Romero Shepherd who bowled long spells on a flat track, picking up a wicket each.
Jaguars made two forced changes, leaving out Assad Fudadin (flu) and Kemo Paul (finger injury) and Barbados Pride elected to bat on a slow track and a lightning fast outfield in bright sunshine with a strong wind blowing across the ground.
Reifer and debutant 24-year-old Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club pacer Clinton Pestano, who looked nervous, opened the bowling before Shepherd, who bowled his heart out, replaced him after three overs.
Anthony Alleyne, Barbados’ leading run scorer, began shakily while Braithwaite looked composed as the pair added 45 for the opening stand. Alleyne (8) scratched around for 66 minutes and 33 balls before he edged Reifer to the Keeper in the 14th over.
Hope joined Braithwaite, who has five tons from 34 Tests and the Pride’s 50 came up in the 17th over with an on-driven boundary from Hope off Pestano before he stroked Gudakesh Motie past mid-off for a couple of fours.
When Braithwaite, in his 50th game for Barbados, reached 36 he joined the list of batsmen with 7,000 First-Class runs and by lunch the right-hander with a Chanderpaul-like temperament, was seven short of his 37th First-Class fifty. With him was Hope on 16 and the Pride on 75-1 from 29 overs.
After the interval, which was used by the West Indies T20 team to do fielding drills, a fair sized gathering in the 3Ws stand watched as Braithwaite stroked Reifer for four to move to 47; he then caressed Motie for four to post his half-century from 108 balls, 134 minutes with five boundaries.
Hope pulled Reifer for four and Braithwaite stroked him past mid-off for another in his next over for before Hope slapped Shepherd for his fifth boundary as the partnership gained momentum. When Shepherd pitched up Braithwaite played an imperious straight drive and followed it up with flowing on-drive past for another four.
Hope climbed into Pestano and pulled him for four as the Guyana attack, without Keon Joseph and Veerasammy Permaul, lacked bite. Rain at 13:38hrs sent the players scampering off the field with the total on 127-1 off 43.2 overs and when play resumed at 14:00hrs Hope hit Pestano behind square for four as the sun returned in all its glory while Braithwaite played an exquisite drive and then cut Reifer for contrasting fours off successive balls.
Hope pivoted on one leg and pulled Refier for four to bring up the 100 partnership from 223 balls and 138 minutes. Hope blasted Bishoo, who has struggled for consistency in recent matches, for a pugnacious boundary to deep mid-wicket
Hope stroked Reifer magnificently for his ninth boundary with included a six, to reach his eighth half-century from 128 balls from 148 minutes and by Tea, taken at 163-1, the partnership was 118. Braithwaite (91) and Hope (55) were at the crease.
After the break Braithwaite stroked Motie for four to move to 97 before he tucked Bishoo to mid-wicket for a single to reach his century from 177 balls, 231 minutes with 11 fours. A delightful punch off Motie was Braithwaite’s 12th four and was the shot of the day. Bishoo should have had Braithwaite (105) with the score on 185 when Pestano dropped an easy catch at mid-on.
Hope, who was dropped by the Keeper off Pestano on 35, edged a cut off Motie which raced past slip for fortuitous boundary as the faulty catching by the Jaguars continued this season. The 150 stand came up from 309 balls when Braithwaite pounced on Motie and butchered him to the point boundary.
Braithwaite smashed Bishoo for four while Hope latched onto a long hop from Bishoo for the same result and jumped into Bishoo and dumped for him for six. When Hope cut Shepherd behind point for four to take the score to 196 it equaled the record second-wicket stand against Guyana between Jason Haynes and Ryan Hinds in 2009 in Barbados.
The 200 partnership was brought up in 381 and 218 minutes and Barbados soon collected their second batting point when they reached 250-1 from 78th overs. The hard working Shepherd trapped Braithwaite LBW at 250-2 to bring Brooks to the crease.
Hope swung Bishoo for four to move to 99 before a single brought up his 100 from 248 minutes and 221 balls decorated with 12 fours and two sixes. Hope and Brooks, with the shadows from the Western stands lengthening across the ground, saw their side to the close, large and in charge in their own backyard.

Shai Hope drove Gudakesh Motie for a glourious four past cover during his unbeaten hundred yesterday (Sean Devers photo)