West Indies Domestic: Victory in their sight

Defending champions Barbados made swift and significant progress in their Busta Cup opener against Guyana yesterday with the help of Dave Marsh all's wrap-up job in the morning and Philo Wallace's commanding century in the afternoon.

Midway through the second day, Guyana were making a genuine challenge for first innings points, but then they were comprehensively outplayed.

They now find themselves chasing more than 300 to win today on a Kensington Oval pitch that should deteriorate on the fourth day.

Marshall, whose leg-breaks posed little trouble on Saturday, was a transformed man yesterday. He bagged the last five Guyana wickets, which could manage only 46 runs after resuming on 152 for five.

The ebullient Marshall struck with the day's first ball, compliments of a juggled catch that was eventually taken on the fourth attempt between Roland Holder and substitute Kerry Lucas.

Holder had two opportunities at gully on a firm cut from Vishal Nagamootoo; Lucas had another two at slip before completing the catch for what was his first ball on the field in a first-class match.

Marshall also claimed the important scalp of Ramnaresh Sarwan to a catch at extra-cover and finished with career-best figures of six for 51.

He and Barbados, however, would have been frustrated when Mahendra Nagamotoo and Kevin Darlington dug in for an hour in which there was a missed chance and a wicket was cancelled out by a no-ball call.

Guyana, all out for 198, conceded a lead of 74 which Barbados capitalised on mainly on the strength of Wallace's ninth first-class century (117 off 181 balls) that included typically punishing shots in all directions.

Even when Guyana adopted the negative tactic with leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo bowling down the leg-side where six fielders were stationed, Wallace opened his shoulders and hoisted him over backward-square for his second six.

In addition to the two leg-side sixes, Wallace clobbered 12 fours, but those that gave the big opening batsman the sweetest satisfaction were a couple extra-cover drives against off-spinner Garvin Nedd.

On one such occasion, Wallace flashed a broad smile as the ball raced across the outfield.

Barbados ended the day on 252 for six and an overall lead of 326, a position which was attained in spite of three late wickets, the needless run-outs of Floyd Reifer and Ryan Hurley, and unavailability of injured debutants Wayne Blackman and Antonio Mayers.

Both Reifer and Hurley were prised out by direct throws in attempting tight singles close in on the off-side.

After the dismissals of makeshift opener Ian Bradshaw and Reifer, Wallace and Holder, Barbados' two most prolific batsmen at this level, featured in a third-wicket partnership of 117 in which neither batsman was troubled.

Holder eventually drove over one from Nagamootoo and was bowled for 39 and the same bowler finally won his battle with Wallace an hour-and-a-half after tea, long after he had started his defensive ploy.

The Barbados captain was trying for his third six, but could not clear Colin Stuart on the deep square-leg fence.

Hendy Bryan went first ball, clipping a catch to mid-wicket, but Courtney Browne and Marshall ensured that Barbados did not allow Guyana to run through the lower order with a seventh-wicket stand of 37.