Bishop lifts Barbados Pride with bat and spin as Red Force wobble in Antigua playoff

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC): Joshua Bishop led Barbados Pride’s recovery with the willow and then troubled Trinidad and Tobago’s second dig as the West Indies Championship playoff at Coolidge Cricket Ground heads into a decisive final day against the Red Force.

When play resumed, the Pride still trailed T&T’s first-innings score by 71. Bishop fell one run short of a third first-class hundred—left unbeaten on 99—but he and number eleven Jomel Warrican pushed the total to 296, so Barbados handed over a first-innings gap of 37.

Warrican and Bishop added 47 for the tenth wicket before Khary Pierre had Warrican caught for 10. Bishop remained 99 not out from 147 deliveries, with ten fours and four sixes.

Bishop later claimed four scalps with his left-arm spin; Roston Chase’s offbreaks supported him as the Red Force reached 209 for seven in their second turn at the crease, stretching their overall cushion to 246 before stumps.

Cephas Cooper’s unbeaten ton steadied T&T after a middle-order wobble. He and Evin Lewis (14) opened with 64, yet once Chase dismissed Lewis the visitors shed wickets in clusters.

Bishop caught Jyd Goolie for four and bowled Jason Mohammed for three; Chase sent back Amir Jangoo for 19 as the score slid to 114 for four. Skipper Joshua Da Silva (19) rebuilt briefly in a 34-run stand with Cooper until Chase pinned him lbw.

At 148 for five, Terrance Hinds and Cooper put on 49 for the sixth, nudging T&T ahead. Bishop then struck twice within ten balls: Hinds was caught for a 74-ball 26, and two runs later Bryan Charles nicked behind for nought.

Cooper reached his hundred near the close and, with Pierre at the other end, saw no further loss. His vigil has spanned 192 balls and four hours 39 minutes, with 14 boundaries. Bowling figures: Bishop 4 for 60, Chase 3 for 49.