Barbados: Police Helped By Rain (6 December 1998)

6 December 1998

Barbados: Police Helped By Rain

By Haydn Gill

Some may say that they were saved by the rain, but Police won't say so.

When the dark clouds that had been hovering over the ground for the entire day burst, the long-standing front-runners were just about making a recovery after being thoroughly dominated in the pre-tea session.

Asked to bat first on a soft pitch by United Carlton, Police plunged to 73 for eight ten minutes before tea, a position that was helped by the unfriendly nature of the pitch, a few ill-advised strokes, and good bowling from Hendy Broomes and Ian Brathwaite.

By the time the rain ended play at 4:08 p.m., Feliston Gilkes and Sylvester Louis' ninth-wicket stand was worth 52 in 56 minutes and Carlton had lost their early advantage.

Gilkes, typically solid, showed his team-mates how to survive on pitches not conducive to strokeplay by grafting his way to an unbeaten 51 from 90 balls.

Louis, always on the look-out for runs, made 28 not out, including the day's only boundary, a pulled six off medium-pacer Ryan Willoughby.

Sadly though, the rain that ended things seems likely to prevent any play today, thus reducing the season finale to somewhat of an anti-climax.

Not that Police will mind. The champions-in-waiting have a four-point lead on Cable & Wireless BET, who were also stopped by the elements at the neighbouring Queen's Park.

While Gilkes held firm, the majority of his colleagues were dismissed trying to hit their way out of a no-win situation.

Ahmed Proverbs pulled a rank long-hop down the throat of deep mid-wicket in the day's first over. Trevor Griffith, Leslie Reifer and Duane Davis holed out to long-on, all three falling to nice catches from Jason Clarke, Ryan Willoughby and Wilbur Bruce.

Stanton Proverbs, whose 610 runs made him the leading run-scorer at the start of the series, made 18 before Brathwaite removed him, leg-before, with a ball of fullish length.

Brathwaite also claimed Griffith and Derwin Thompson, the only batsman who could say he fell to the devils of the pitch.

Pushing half-forward to a ball that leapt awkwardly, Thompson was wrapped on the glove and wicket-keeper Orion Lewis dived full-stretch to haul in the ball that lobbed into the air.

Brathwaite, no more than an occasional medium-pacer, did a good job in supporting Broomes, who captured five for 50 from 16 successive overs.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)