Wallace blasts 137

The Kensington Stand has not risen to its feet often this season.

Yesterday it did so emphatically at 2:11 p.m., and it was in recognition of something special.

The 2,000 or so spectators in the stand rose to acknowledge Philo Wallace after he brought up a commanding century in grand style.

The big, beefy Barbadian opening batsmen arrived at his second hundred of the season against Trinidad and Tobago, his ninth at the regional level and the 12th of his first-class career, by depositing promising off-spinner Rodney Sooklal over long-on for a towering six that cleared the Pickwick Pavilion.

From the time the ball left his rampant bat, the 32-year-old former Barbados captain jubilantly removed his helmet and raised his bat to the delight of the hometown fans.

This was a brutal hundred. It required just 131 balls and included five mighty sixes, four of which were reserved for Sooklal, and 11 meaty fours.

Wallace dominated proceedings to the extent that his century was almost two-thirds of the 165 runs on the board at the time.

Thereafter, he buckled down and his eventual 137 came off 211 balls in more than five hours' batting.

It was a critical innings, after four of his teammates had gifted their wickets to irresponsible strokes on the second day of the Carib Beer International Challenge semifinal in which first innings points could be decisive.

By then, Wallace had been joined by captain Courtney Browne and their fifth-wicket century stand lifted the Cup champions to within three runs of the lead.

Responding to Trinidad and Tobago's 258, Barbados closed on 288 for seven.

Browne started cautiously before reeling off some fine shots in a polished innings of 67.

Once he settled, he played some sweet strokes, including two on-side boundaries in succession off Marlon Black, a lovely extra-cover drive off left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed and a slog-sweep off the same bowler. Those were among his nine fours from 137 balls.

Wallace's onslaught between lunch and tea was nothing short of terrific.

There was one over from Sooklal in which he banged 17 runs, courtesy of a six over mid-wicket and fours through long-on and mid-wicket.

Even when Daren Ganga opted to back the on-side field with the protection of as many as three fielders lining the fence, Wallace either found a space to get the ball through or carted it over the boundary, mainly with some powerful sweeps.

The over in which he completed his century also included a swept six over square-leg and onto the Kensington Stand's roof.

The faster bowlers also came in for stick, and there was a memorable pull off Black that landed full onto the scoreboard.

The innings wasn't without blemish. When Wallace was ten, Black dropped a knee-high return catch from a firm drive, and when he was 107, Dave Mohammed became the centre of amusement by missing a seemingly straightforward chance at point.

Both Black and Mervyn Dillon tested Wallace with some accurate stuff and Dillon had the satisfaction of rapping him on the helmet after he had passed his hundred.

Eventually, the opener would gift his wicket to a very wide ball which he struck down the throat of extra-cover to provide Sooklal with one of his four wickets.

Browne also fell victim to Sookal when he gave a return catch.

Twenty-five minutes earlier the slim off-spinner bowled Ryan Hurley in an eventful over in which Hurley was mis-stumped and also played a lovely chipped drive over extra-cover to bring up the first innings lead just before 5 p.m.

The partnership of 115 between Wallace and Browne was important after Dillon accounted for three Test players and Sooklal removed Dwayne Smith with the help of a well-judged catch by Dwayne Bravo on the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Sherwin Campbell fell to a loose drive which he edged to the 'keeper 20 minutes into Barbados' response, which started after Corey Collymore picked up the last wicket to complete a five-wicket haul.

After Campbell fell, there was a touch of deja vu about the next two dismissals.

Ryan Hinds started solidly but duplicated Campbell's dismissal and what appeared to be a significant innings in the making was reduced to 26.

Floyd Reifer replaced Hinds and was immediately dropped when Bravo got his finger tips onto an offering at cover.

It was not costly to the visitors because Reifer soon edged a catch behind.