Fittingly, after a stellar Regional 4-Day season, Barbados Pride have emerged champions of the 2020 tournament, dethroning five-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars.
Shai Hope
Pride looked a dominant outfit throughout the tournament, even though they were without the services of West Indies players Roston Chase and Shai Hope.
A pleasing sight for Pride was the rich crop
Roston Chase
of young fast bowlers, while the senior men stood out. Kemar Roach and Kraigg Brathwaite each played their part, but the resurrected Kyle Mayers was destructive with the bat, filling the Chase-Hope void.
Over the past 4-Day seasons, Chase and Hope have been the top stroke-makers. The duo has 139 first-class matches between themselves, and 7841 runs combined, including 17 centuries.
With only eight rounds possible, the remaining two rounds being cancelled because of COVID-19, Barbados Pride have finished atop the standings with 134.8 points.
Pride last won the Regional 4-Day title in 2013. Despite Pride being the second-best team for most seasons, they have produced the most players in the West Indies teams over the past seasons.
Pride’s most memorable win in the season came against their arch-rivals Guyana Jaguars.
Barbados trounced the Jaguars in their own backyard by a whopping 235 runs.
Meanwhile, the biggest find for Pride this season has been the magnificent Mayers. The all-rounder has resurrected himself with the bat, scoring 654 runs, with two centuries and five half-centuries. He has a high score of 140 and an average of 50.30.
With the likes of Chase and Hope not playing a single match in the Regional 4-Day season, other players had stepped up to the plate.
Meanwhile, Shayne Mosely has been a quiet performer with 490 runs, while captain Brathwaite made 468 runs. West Indies Test wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich has scored 360 runs, while young pace sensation Chemar Holder has been the man with the ball.
He has taken 36 wickets, with three five-wicket hauls, while Kemar Roach has taken 30 scalps in only five matches. Keon Harding, another youngster, has taken 29 wickets. The fast-bowling points for Pride have been a huge bonus this season. (Brandon Corlette)
