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Barbados may have been easy winners in their Red Stripe Bowl opener, but the high number of extras, especially wides, is a cause for concern. In defeating newcomers Antigua and Barbuda by six wickets at the Uitvlugt Community Centre on Tuesday, Barbados conceded 34 extras, including 23 wides.

It is a staggering statistic against the background that in the three previous years they gave away an average of 6.91 wides a match and 14.33 extras a match in 12 games between 1998 and 2000.

"It was a good win, like any win in one-day cricket, but in breaking it down, we let them get too many runs and there were too many extras," said team coach Hendy Springer.

"When you are playing against good teams, you can't afford those extras."

It was suggested by some that the white ball was perhaps a bit more difficult to control than a red "cherry", while the strong wind that prevailed at a ground on the west coast of Demerara, which is just a ball-throw away from the Atlantic, might have been another contributing factor to the ball being sprayed around.

"The white ball takes a bit of getting accustomed to, but I don't want to put it down to the breeze," Springer said. "I would like the players to handle the responsibility. "I didn't use the word blame. I use the word responsibility right through. There was that little bit of indiscipline."

The chief culprit with the extras was Corey Collymore, who gave away 12 wides, including four in the first over of the match in which he was also flicked for a six over backward square-leg by left-hander Amwaa Prince and removed the same batsman through a keeper's catch.

Collymore's fellow fast bowlers Hendy Bryan, who conceded six wides, and left-armer Ian Bradshaw, with three, also contributed.

Collymore was also clouted for six sixes in the dying stages by Man- Of-The-Match Ridley Jacobs, whose unbeaten 76 and eighth-wicket century stand with Kerry Jeremy allowed the first-time competitors to recover from 68 for seven to reach 187 for nine.

In an effort to have the faults corrected, Barbados were planning to have a practice session yesterday evening, but persistent rain in and around the capital throughout the day left the conditions unsuitable for a net session.

There will, however, still be ample time to get the problem rectified ahead of this weekend's back-to-back matches.

"We've got to do some target practice and radar practice, bowling down the channel and down the channel and down the channel," Springer said.

"But cricket is still a situation game. In trying to do this and that, you may still be off-mark.

"We've got to get rid of those extra runs and extra overs we are giving people. We are giving people an extra five and six overs. We can't afford to do that."

Barbados gave Antigua and Barbuda at least an additional 26 deliveries, and Collymore and company found themselves struggling to deliver the full quota of 50 overs in the 31/2 hours allocated.

By 1 p.m., Barbados were into the 47th over and it took them a further 22 minutes to complete the allotment.

There was a feeling that Barbados would not have had the opportunity to bat for the full complement of 50 overs, but the match referee saw no reason for imposing any penalty.

"Unless otherwise determined by the match referee, the innings of the team batting second shall be limited to the same number of overs bowled by it, at the scheduled time for cessation of the first session," the playing conditions say.

"The referee may increase the number of overs to be bowled by the team bowling second if, after consultation with the umpires, he is of the opinion that events beyond the control of the bowling team prevented that team from bowling the required number of overs by the scheduled time for the cessation of the innings of the team batting first."

It is interesting to note that following Barbados' opening match, they have three successive days off ahead of back-to-back matches against Guyana and Southern Windwards at the weekend.

"After Tuesday, I think we should have been playing by at least Thursday or Friday," Springer said. However, the Barbados coach added that the long break could have some positives.

"It will give us time to rest, it can give us time to practise and review tactics. But for the competition's sake, I don't believe it should be stretched out over that period of time because you're just playing a couple of games."

After yesterday's match between Guyana and Southern Windwards in Berbice, there will be no matches today.

Zone "B" resumes tomorrow with a clash between Southern Windwards and Antigua at the Diamond ground.

© The Barbados Nation