West Indies Local Cricket:Blackman ends day unbeaten

There are few batsmen in Barbados who can display the type of elegance Wayne Blackman does when he is on the go.

Yesterday was one of those days when Blackman was in full flow and the sweet-stroking right-hander was rewarded with a highclass century in the clash between joint second-placed Big B Spartan and ESA Field Pickwick.

His first two scoring strokes were edges to the third-man boundary off Kelso Odaine, but he proceeded to play with supreme authority, especially when driving off the front foot.

Blackman went to the crease after 39 minutes' play when Philo Wallace, on his first appearance for the season, edged a catch to the keeper off Gregory Simmons after making 22.

By the close, the 23-year-old former Ellerslie schoolboy was unbeaten on 118 off 152 balls, his innings spiced with eight fours and four sixes in 3-1/2 hours of batting.

It was his third Division 1 hundred, but his first for Spartan, and he rated it as the best, mentioning that the bowling of debutant Grenadian leg-spinner Camilus Alexander was a major challenge.

I was very determined, Blackman told SUNSPORT. The bowling was tremendous. Alexander bowled very well and I had to stick to a plan. He was getting a lot of turn and bounce and he was thinking.

Alexander took four for 77 in 22 successive overs in which he got better with every passing over.

The 17-year-old West Indies youth team selectee, however, was not entirely satisfied with his effort. He anticipated a haul of six wickets.

It was a bit challenging. I was expecting it to be a bit easier. I know sometimes you have bad days, but you have got to cope, he said.

His victims included captain Kerry Lucas, who hit a catch to cover in the last over before tea and Hattian Graham and Aaron Barker, both of whom edged catches to slip where the sure-handed Neil Weekes hauled in four catches.