Kraigg Brathwaite hit his 25th first-class hundred and left-hander Raymon Reifer followed up a career-best spell with a purposeful half-century to propel Barbados Pride to 243 for two in their first innings in the West Indies Championship on Wednesday.
Brathwaite was undefeated on 137, his 11th Championship hundred, and Reifer was not out on 55 to lead a strong Pride reply to Scorpions’ first innings total of 328 on the second day of the second round match at Kensington Oval.
Reifer and Brathwaite have so far shared 136 – unbroken – for the third wicket, coming together after Pride lost left-handed opener Shayne Moseley for four before lunch and West Indies batsman Shamarh Brooks for 39 after the interval.
Reifer, bowling his left-arm pace, had earlier hastened the end of the Scorpions first innings with 6-23 from 13.4 overs after the visitors started the day from their overnight total of 299 for three.
After Pride claimed the second new ball following 82 overs with Scorpions on 301 for three, Reifer bowled an inspired spell of 7.1-4-8-6 unchanged from the Malcolm Marshall End until the innings closed.
West Indies lead selector, the Most Honourable Desmond Haynes, and the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, one of Barbados’ two living national heroes, were among the modest crowd that watched the Scorpions batting collapse unfold.
Reifer triggered the slide in which the visitors lost their last seven wickets for 27 in 76 balls, including their batting heroes from the previous day, captain John Campbell and fellow left-hander Paul Palmer Jr after they shared 133 for the fourth wicket.
Reifer bowled Palmer after the former Scorpions captain failed to add to his bedtime score of 76 and he got Campbell caught at deep square leg for 127 after adding only four to his overnight score.
None of the other Scorpions batsmen that came to the crease on the day reached 20.
Pride were set back early when Moseley was caught at first slip off former Pride pacer Marquino Mindley in the third over of the reply.
Brooks added 100 with Brathwaite either side of them taking Pride to lunch on 38 for one before he was caught at extra cover off left-arm spinner Patrick Harty, getting a leading edge trying to play into the leg-side.
After his departure, Reifer came to the crease and batted through until the close with Brathwaite, his Wanderers clubmate, to put Pride on a desirable trajectory to overhaul the Scorpions’ total.
Summarised scores:
SCORPIONS 328 (John Campbell 127, Paul Palmer 76, Nkrumah Bonner 49, Leroy Lugg 39, Jamie Merchant 12; Raymon Reifer 13.4-4-23-6).
PRIDE 243 for two (Kraigg Brathwaite 137 not out, Raymon Reifer 55 not out, Shamarh Brooks 39).
(AR)