However, it was the bowlers who held sway yesterday on a Dayrells Road pitch that has a reputation of being one of the island's best batting tracks.

So disappointing was the batting that a team found themselves reeling on 99 for eight in the face of impressive, sustained seam bowling from Corey Collymore and Hendy Bryan.

It was somewhat of a surprise that Roland Holder's XI found the going so tough immediately after Sherwin Campbell's team had batted for more than four sessions in piling up 368.

Holder's team got up to 154, thanks to four sixes between the Nos. 10 and 11, Pedro Collins and Ryan Best, and a fighting, unbeaten 59 from left-hander Ryan Hinds.

It was Hinds' second half-century in as many innings and it should assure him of a place in Barbados' opening Busta Cup match starting next week Friday against the Windward Islands.

Hinds, who came in at No. 4, had his problems against Collymore and Bryan but he battled for nearly two hours in a knock that included eight fours off 116 balls.

No one would have expected a line-up that included Adrian Griffith, Sean Armstrong, Horace Waldron and Ricky Hoyte would have been swept aside so easily.

Griffith fell to a loose drive against Patterson Thompson and the other three were prised out by the impressive Collymore, who sent down what was arguably the finest spell of fast bowling in any of the two trial matches.

The 21-year-old hardly delivered a bad ball in 13 successive overs in which he maintained decent pace, line and length. At one stage, Campbell even gave him the support of five slips and a silly mid-off.

Collymore first struck by removing Armstrong, who was bowled attempting a forcing back-foot shot.

His other two victims went in more spectacular fashion. Waldron, offering no stroke, was embarrassingly bowled, while the left-handed Hoyte, troubled by Collymore several times, was lbw trying to push forward.

At the other end, Hendy Bryan bowled just as impressively in that spell of 11 overs in which he took two for 21.

Antonio Mayers never played him with any conviction and it was no surprise when he hit a catch to gully.

Bryan also had Dave Marshall lbw, the batsman rapped almost on the full as he shouldered arms.

Marshall was sixth out at 92, and the left-arm spin pair of Winston Reid and Sulieman Benn shared the last four wickets although both were struck for two sixes by tail-enders.

Earlier, Campbell's XI, resuming on 281 for five, added another 89 runs, most of them coming from the bat of wicket-keeper Courtney Browne, who extended his 23 to 83 before he was last out.

Browne was in commanding form after the lunch break when he cracked three boundaries in one over off Mayers' medium-pace and followed by taking 17, including a six over extra-cover, in the next over from leg-spinner Dave Marshall.

The match, which started a day late because of unsuitable conditions, continues today and ends tomorrow.