Barbados Cricket Association article.
Bridgetown, Barbados - Foursquare Oval, a ground with its roots in sugar cane on the border of St. Philip and Christ Church and surrounded by one of the best known rums in the region, provided sweets for two of Barbados' most outstanding club cricketers today.
Kyle Hope, the 25-year-old ESA Field Pickwick captain who holds the modern day record for the most runs in a BCA top league season, became the first batsman to reach 500 runs in the 2014 Elite division championship, while left-arm spinner Derick Bishop of Brathwaite Construction/Republic Bank St. Catherine grabbed the best bowling figures to date in a telling seven-wicket haul.
On a rain-hit opening day of Series 6 when ironically not a ball was bowled in two matches featuring the top two and the bottom two teams, Hope hit the joint topscore of 46 with his younger brother and fellow first-class player, Shai, as Pickwick were bowled out for 174 in 73.1 overs in their first innings after they were sent in.
Kyle Hope's knock lifted his aggregate to 525 runs from seven innings including three not outs, at an average of 131.25, which after the first three rounds stood at an amazing 471.00 as he had been dismissed only once in four innings.
It is the fifth time the tall, elegant Kyle Hope has scored over 500 runs in a season after making his debut for Guardian General Barbados Youth in 2006.
Bishop, a 30-year-old diminutive all-rounder now in his 15th consecutive season at the highest level of domestic cricket, took seven for 60 off 28.1 overs. It was the seventh time he has achieved seven or more wickets in an innings and his 51st "five-for" as he pushed his tally for the season to 22 and 662 all told in his illustrious career.
St. Catherine closed on five for one off 6.5 overs.
It was also a happy day for Kemar Jabari Smith, the bubbly brother of veteran Barbados and West Indies player Dwayne Smith, as he hit a career-best, unbeaten 71 in helping to rescue BDFSP against title holders CGI Maple at Paragon.
Smith featured in an eighth wicket partnership of exactly 100 at better than a run-a-minute with the in-form left-hander Mario Rampersaud, who made 68 as BDFSP recovered from dire straits at 56 for seven to score 170 all out in 53 overs after they, too, were sent in.
There were four wickets each for seamers Khalid Springer and Kirk Brome.
Maple were 12 without loss off five overs at stumps.
And in the only other match where there was play, CounterPoint Wanderers crawled to 86 for seven off 35 overs after losing the toss against Massy Stores Spartan at Queen's Park.
Not a ball was bowled at Bank Hall between runaway leaders ICBL Empire on 75 points and distant second-placed Sagicor Life UWI who are on 44, and at Wildey, featuring LIME, who are one from the bottom on 26 points and Guardian General Barbados Youth, with a mere five points but with the knowledge that they are exempt from demotion.
At Foursquare Oval:
As much as they would want to celebrate Kyle Hope's achievement, Pickwick must still be worried that being third last in the table on 28 points in mid-season would require every possible batting point to ease their worries of demotion.
After gaining eight of their ten batting points to date with brisk scoring in Series 3 and 4 against Barbados Youth at Lester Vaughn, Cane Garden and Maple at Foursquare Oval when Kyle Hope slammed 161 not out and a career-best, unbeaten 217, Pickwick again realised that they must not become too dependent on their captain.
Having lost two early wickets including former Barbados Under-19 team opener Craig St. Hill for a third consecutive 'duck' in a wretched season which has brought him just 42 runs from seven innings, the home team went to tea on 72 for two off 35 overs with Kyle Hope on 42 and Shai Hope, 15.
But after adding 52 for the third wicket, Kyle Hope was soon leg before wicket by off-spinner Shamar Cooke, the St. Catherine captain, and a collapse set in after they passed 100 with four wickets down.
The last six wickets fell for 51 runs as Bishop came into his own with the scalps of Shai Hope and the big-hitting Shane Jones who made 20.
In 2009, Kyle Hope, then aged 21, had the honour of amassing a record 1 194 runs including five centuries and three fifties from 23 innings with five not outs, at an average of 66.33 in the competition, known as the First division between 1892 and 2011 (rebranded Elite division from 2012).
At Paragon:
BDFSP were in danger of being shot out for under 100 when they tottered to 56 for seven with the early damage being done by Brome and off-spinner Ramon Greaves.
At tea, BDFSP were 106 for seven off 38 overs with opener Rampersaud on 49 and the usually attacking Smith on 28.
Rampersaud reached his half-century in 144 minutes off 107 balls with four boundaries, while Smith's fifty came in 88 minutes off 64 deliveries and contained four fours and one six.
The century stand took 94 minutes off 144 balls and contained five fours and one six.
Springer finished with four for 28 off 12 overs, Brome, four for 38, also off 12 overs and Greaves, two for 44 from 16 overs.
At Queen's Park:
Only ten overs were possible in the pre-tea session during which Wanderers scored 28 for one.
But following the dismissal of left-hander Shayne Moseley, run out for 24, there was slump with six wickets tumbling for 30 runs before they closed on 86 for seven off 35 overs.
Captain Renaldo Arthur, with 18, was the only other batsman to reach double-figures.
Left-arm spinner Andre Marshall picked up three for ten and off-spinner Chaim Holder, two for 25 - both off ten overs.
At Bank Hall:
Play was called off at 4 p.m. as all and sundry waited patiently for the start of the big clash between Empire and UWI.
Empire are virtually back to full strength after the return to the island on Friday of top players from the club's historic two-week tour to England as part of their 100th anniversary celebrations during which they played a match at Lord's on August 15. They will, however, be without stalwarts Ryan Hinds and Kevin Stoute, who were both in the touring party to London, as they will be heading to the United States shortly on personal business.
UWI, too, have been boosted by a few first-class players including cousins and all-rounders, skipper Carlos Brathwaite and Jonathan Carter and attacking Jamaican opener Shacaya Thomas, all of whom took part in the just concluded Caribbean Premier League.
At Wildey:
Heavy rain usually spells doom for cricket at a ground where the drainage leaves a lot to be desired.
Despite efforts from the LIME players to get the ground in shape, conditions were so bad that play was abandoned as early as 1.08 p.m. - 68 minutes after the schedule start.
First Published On bcacricket.org.