Barbados Pride will be looking to bounce back from last week’s demoralising defeat to reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles, when they take on West Indies Academy in a pink-ball encounter at Kensington Oval starting on Wednesday.
The multiple-times champions made a poor start to their West Indies Championship campaign when they slumped to a 10-wicket loss at the Guyana National Stadium.
However, the side has been boosted by the return of West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, along with fellow international teammate, left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, with Shaquille Cumberbatch and Jamar Ifill also being called up.
All-rounder Raymon Reifer, who captained the side in the first round, has missed out along with Chemar Holder and Chaim Holder.
“The biggest challenge is starting under the lights with the new ball. I think before that period starts … it’s a lot easier so it’s pretty much just opening up your eyes and expecting for a shiny pink ball to be coming down on a good length early on,” Brathwaite said.
“That’s the biggest challenge because obviously it’s normally a time with the red ball so other than that, the ball moving around is almost normal to first class cricket. I think the guys are pretty much accustomed to that. It’s just with the pink ball and starting at night, it’s important to be on it from ball one.”
He added: “It’s important not to give up and [that] we have a good all-round game in both innings. This group is very talented and will do very well.”
All-rounder Matthew Forde, middle order batsman Jonathan Drakes and opener Zachary McCaskie all got half-centuries in the first innings as Pride piled up a healthy 346 in their first innings.
However, after trailing Harpy Eagles by 36 runs on first innings, Pride were bundled out for 112 in their second innings, leaving the hosts with an uncomplicated target.
Head coach Vasbert Drakes said Pride had taken valuable lessons from the opening round defeat, and would be boosted by the return of the senior players.
“We’re really looking forward to this game playing on Barbados soil. I’m also happy to have the captain Kraigg Brathwaite back in the side and leading from the front, and also happy to have Jomel Warrivcan as part of the group,” said the former West Indies player.
“We’re disappointed from the last game so we’re just going to take the learning out of the situation and definitely you will see an improvement because guys understand what it takes not only to represent Barbados but what it takes to win competitions.”
West Indies Academy are also coming off a crushing first round defeat after suffering a heavy 402-run drubbing at the hands of Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Six Barbadians will feature in the West Indies Academy squad led by impressive left arm spinner Joshua Bishop, who grabbed 10 wickets in the opening round defeat to Hurricanes.
Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, who lives in Nevis, is Barbadian by birth.
The match bowls off at 1 pm each day.
SQUAD – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jamar Ifill, Javed Leacock, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Demetrius Richards, Ramon Simmonds, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham, Leniko Boucher, Shaquille Cumberbatch, Jonathan Drakes, Matthew Forde
(BT)
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