Bajans Hit Back

Two men from neighbouring districts came together for a common cause at Kensington Oval yesterday.

Ryan Hinds, from Haynesville, St. James, and Courtney Browne, who hails from Hoyte's Village, featured in a rescue act that pulled Barbados around from potential danger on the opening day of their fifth-round Busta match against Windward Islands.

Bottom-of-the-table Windwards, still without a point after four successive defeats, threatened to cause the home team some embarrassment by dispatching Philo Wallace and Adrian Griffith for ducks within the first 15 minutes.

The dismissal of Roland Holder, stomach problems that caused Sean Armstrong to interrupt his innings and the most bowler-friendly surface seen at Kensington this season, put Barbados under pressure.

When Browne joined Hinds just before lunch, Barbados were 45 for three, but the pair skilfully negotiated the Windwards attack with a fourth-wicket century stand. By the close, Barbados' 193 for five was a much more satisfactory position after their early problems.

The left-handed Hinds, very well-organised for the five hours he spent in the middle, compiled 87 solid runs and seemed set to complete a maiden first-class century.

No bowler bothered him at any stage and he was especially impressive when playing off the front foot on the way to his sixth half-century in first-class cricket.

The consistent Browne made another vital contribution with 72 goodlooking runs. There were times he attempted the dangerous sweep shot against the leg-spinners, but once he settled, he batted with the type of conviction he has displayed for most of the season.

In the end, the 19-year-old Hinds and Browne, who each struck four boundaries, gifted their wickets late in the day to the persistent medium-pacer McNeil Morgan.

There was plenty of drama at the start of the day.

Wallace, his place in the team questioned by many in the stands, gained no new supporters, and might have lost a few, because of the type of irresponsible stroke that caused his downfall from the very first ball he faced.

It was delivered by Deighton Butler, a little-known left-arm fast medium who was bowling at Wallace for the very first time. It was a short ball, pitched outside off-stump and bouncing appreciably. It drew a miscued pull from Wallace, who started to head in the direction of the pavilion before the skied catch was accepted at gully.

Before the discussion on Wallace's dismissal was finished, the Windwards were celebrating the fall of another wicket with two runs on the tins. Griffith, pushing forward to a ball from the inexperienced Fernix Thomas, edged a catch which was smartly snapped up by the diving wicket-keeper Junior Murray.

At the time, it was evident that the bounce in the pitch was much more generous than it was for the entire season and batting was not entirely a straightforward exercise.

Armstrong spent an uncomfortable 50 minutes in which he was floored by a ball from Butler that struck him in the area where it hurts most. A few minutes later, an upset stomach that led to him vomiting, forced him to retire ill.

As he made his way off the field with the assistance of physiotherapist Jacqui King and emergency fielder Shirley Clarke, Armstrong gave the impression he wanted to continue batting by stopping and looking in the direction of the pitch.

Armstrong was replaced by Roland Holder, who never appeared to be in any trouble for the 50 minutes he spent with Hinds trying to rebuild Barbados' cause.

Against the run of play, Holder provided a return catch from a casual push against leg-spinner Orlando Jackson.

It was the solitary wicket of the day for the 26-year-old Vincentian who has been having an encouraging debut season that included 20 scalps before this match.

Jackson could also have removed Hinds when he was 30, but Devon Smith, fielding at slip, ducked for cover when the general feeling was that it was an offering that came at a comfortable catching height.

Smith eventually made up for it with a nice low catch at backward point that accounted for Hinds. But by then, it was late in the day and Barbados had recovered courtesy of a fourth-wicket stand of 134 between Hinds and Browne.

Initially they were a little tardy in their running between the wickets, but as the stand developed, they developed a better understanding and on two occasions managed all-run fours.

Browne, who batted for just under four hours, faced 185 balls before hitting a catch to extra-cover.