Day 2: Percival's 95 Can't Hold off Barbados

Barbados, despite a courageous 95 from middle order batsman Andre Percival, dominated the second day of their first round 2002 Busta Cup Series cricket match, building up a sizeable lead against Guyana at Kensington Oval here Saturday.

At the close, Barbados, after dismissing Guyana for 231 in reply to their challenging first innings total of 304, were 115 for two - an overall lead of 188 runs - with Kurt Wilkinson not out 21 and Floyd Reifer on 19.

Captain Philo Wallace led Barbados' second innings with a rapid 44, adorned by six fours and a six off 38 balls while the other batsman out was Shirley Clarke for 13.

Percival, a former successful national under-19 captain, who celebrated his 27th birthday earlier this month, stood out like a beacon as he courageously counter-attacked the Barbados bowling on his way to a career-best 95.

He stroked 16 fours off 162 balls in four hours batting after coming to the crease with his team in dire straits at 11 for four.

Best made the early inroads, trapping Travis Dowlin leg before wicket with the first ball of the day and also dispatching opener Sewnarine Chattergoon for another "duck" to add to Friday's late removal of opener Azeemul Haniff. Bradshaw chipped in with the scalp of Lennox Cush, bowled through the gate for four.

Homchand Pooran made a cameo 30 but gifted his wicket attempting a big hit off Benn while Guyana's captain Mahendra Nagamootoo was another Best victim without scoring, edging a catch to gully.

But from the perilous position of 78 for six and in danger of failing to pass the follow-on mark of 155, Percival, whose previous best score of 91 was also made here against Barbados in 1997, mastermined a remarkable Guyana fightback.

First, he featured in a face-saving 96-run seventh-wicket stand with all-rounder Neil McGarrell, who played solidly for 30 and with jockey-sized wicket-keeper Azib Alli Hanif, who made 32, Percival put on 47 runs for the eighth wicket.

Percival became the third batsman so far in the match to be dismissed in the dreaded nineties when Bradshaw found the edge of his bat with a perfect leg-cutter for wicket-keeper Courtney Browne to pouch down the leg side.

Last man Kevin Darlington also failed to score - the fifth batsman in the innings to record of a "duck".

* SOURCE: West Indies Cricket Board.