After 3 successive days cricket in Caribbean conditions the Lancashire boys were pretty weary as they turned up at the impressive Banks Brewery Ground in Bridgetown for the final match of the Tour. If they were looking for a challenge they certainly found one today as they were pitched against the very strong "Best of Barbados" U13s side on a day that started hot and humid and just got hotter! We recognised a few of the opposition from earlier matches but there were some new faces amongst the talented home side. The Tour had begun to take its toll on the Lancs squad with Jake Brown struggling through illness and Will Davidson unable to bowl due to a shoulder injury (probably not cornflake and netball related). Jody Clough also strained a muscle during the warm up but still managed to field the full 35 overs of the opposition's innings.
Chris Brownlow lost the toss for the first time on Tour and Lancashire were asked to bowl on the flattest, hardest and quickest wicket we have seen so far. Brownlow opened with a maiden and the early bowling was tight. The home side's first wicket fell on 15 as Brownlow bowled a bouncer and the promising looking Boucher top edged the ball to James Seward behind the stumps. The next man in, however, was from the Greenidge family and clearly has some of those cricketing genes. His excellent stroke play took the score past 50 until he eventually fell for 46, stumped by Seward off the bowling of Harrison Phelan. The other opener (Chesham) was holding one end up and went onto make 56 and he allowed the next man in to play some free flowing strokes. The home team passed 100 in the 22nd over and there was then a bizarre incident as a ball that clearly "bowled" the batsman didn't claim a wicket as it actually passed through the stumps! Luck seemed to be deserting Lancs as Saad Khan then spilled a catch that, whilst not easy, he would normally eat for breakfast. The home team passed 150 but Lancs stuck to their task and took 3 more wickets, 1 bowled by Dan Houghton and the last 2 bowled by Lewis Wright, who had an excellent day in the field saving countless runs at mid on.
The home side's total of 161 for 5 in 35 overs was always going to be tough to match and it soon looked nigh on impossible as the openers faced a barrage of short pitched deliveries made all the more difficult by the game being played on a 20 yard wicket as opposed to the 21 yards used at this age in England. Khan had coped well with the short stuff but then fell LBW for 9 in the 6th over (11-1). Davidson was then felled by a ball that glanced off the side of his helmet but he soon recovered his feet. Dominic Morris was bowled for 3 (21-2) and Davidson was then brilliantly caught one handed at slip for 2 (29-3). The blow on the head may have addled his brain as his response to his Mum asking if there was anything he wanted after he'd had a shower (i.e. a drink, something to eat, a couple of Anadin etc) was a hairbrush! Brownlow and Phelan began a recovery and took the score to 50 but Phelan fell on 57, caught behind for 7. Brownlow was coping well with the varied bowling attack, which included 2 left arm spinners (one to watch - Kamari Boyce, who is only 10) but was running out of partners as Lewis Wright was bowled for 1 (64-5) and the sickly Jake Brown was caught for 3 (70-6). Brownlow then tried one big hit too many and was bowled for 27, the only Lancs player to reach double figures today, with the score still on 70. Seward was bowled around his pads for a duck and with no chance of victory it was left to the last few batsman to try, on the instructions of the Coaches, and bat out the overs. This task was achieved through some solid defence and whilst Jake Smith fell to a fine diving catch behind the wicket for 2, Jody Clough (not out 1) and Houghton (not out 6) batted solidly together for the last few overs and took the score to 86 for 9.
So whilst it was disappointing not to win the last game of the Tour the Lancashire boys have played some excellent cricket in testing conditions, and have made many friends amongst the generous and welcoming people of Barbados. I for one would love to come back and I hope that some of the Bajan followers of the Blog will keep in touch! It's now a couple of days "R&R" for the boys and the supporters before we fly home on Easter Monday, tired but all the richer for the experience!
More posts will follow so keep up to date with the "fun and games". Photos from today below:
Captains' handshake - to be repeated at Lords in 10 years time?
Anders, Partington & Leighton meet Ezra Moseley, ex West Indies Test cricketer, born in Christ Church, Barbados
James Seward was named as the Lancashire "Player of the Series" by Adrian Donovan of the Barbados Cricket Association
Roland Butcher, born in Barbados and the first black cricketer to play for England, presents Dave Leighton with a commemorative shirt; Adrian Donovan stands to the right.
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