Honours remain even during the WICB Regional Four-day cricket game between Barbados and the Leeward Islands after the third day’s play ended 34 minutes early at the Kensington Park due to rain yesterday.

Leewards ended the day on 186 for six and are just 193 ahead heading into the final day’s play and will seek to reclaim the initiative they had earlier during a 114 second-wicket partnership between opener Montcin Hodge and the experienced Runako Morton.

When stumps were drawn, they had stumbled in the afternoon against telling spells from left-arm seamer Pedro Collins and part-time spinner Ryan Hinds.

The Bajans also have a chance of claiming victory should they succeed in dismissing the Leewards early today on what has remained a slow and low pitch over the first three days.

A draw is also on the cards with further rain being forecast.

Morton is unbeaten on 78 and will be seeking to complete his 14th first-class century before any thoughts of a declaration by his captain Steve Liburd. He has so far faced 254 balls during 280 minutes of intense concentration. The hard- hitting Nevis native has plundered eight fours despite being dropped twice in his knock.

The Leeward Islands started the day from their overnight score of 20 without loss, but lost Kieran Powell early for 12 when the accurate Pedro Collins beat his defence to have him bowled.

After the break, Collins again found the breakthrough for his captain when he hit the edge of Hodge through to wicketkeeper Patrick Browne who went smartly low to his right to complete the catch. The right hander, who remained compact throughout his innings, had by then chipped and clipped his way to three fours from 205 deliveries faced in his 225-minute vigil.

Tonito Willett’s uneasy innings ended when he went via the same route to the discarded West Indies pacer who benefited from angling the ball across the right handers.

Liburd went soon after leg before wicket to Hinds for seven, and it was soon 179 for five when the Bajan captain beat Omari Banks’s defence to bowl him between bat and pad.

Leewards’ position became worse when Devon Thomas left alone a straight ball from Ryan Hinds that clipped his off- stump to leave his team with lots of work to do today.

Scoreboard

LEEWARDS 1st Innings 236 (D Thomas 39; K Stoute 3-21)

BARBADOS 1st Innings 229 (K Edwards 60, D Richards 60; A Martin 3-38)

LEEWARDS 2nd Innings (overnight 20 without loss)

K Powell b Collins 12

M Hodge c wkp Browne b Collins 55

R Morton not out 78

T Willett c wkp Browne b Collins 7

*S Liburd lbw b Hinds 7

O Banks b Hinds 3

+D Thomas b Hinds 0

J Athanaze not out 4

Extras (b4, lb9, nb7) 20

TOTAL (for six wickets – 96.2 overs) 186

Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-138, 3-164, 4-173, 5-179, 6-181

Bowling: Collins 19-4-35-3; Roach 12-2-22-0; Hinds 30-8-42-3; Stoute 17.2-9-23-0; Charles 16-5-41-0; Brooks 2-0-10-0

Position: Leewards lead overall by 193 runs with four second-innings wickets standing

Toss: Leewards

Umpires: L Thompson, V Johnson