CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago were trying to keep a lid on the Combined Campuses & Colleges scoring, after gaining a one-run, first innings lead yesterday in their WICB regional four-day competition for the Headley/Weekes Trophy.
T&T had restricted the CCC to 116 for four at the close on a rain-hit second day in their final round match at the Three Ws Oval, after they barely crossed the threshold, when they were dismissed for 154 in their first innings about an hour and 10 minutes after lunch.
In the final session which was elongated to compensate for the hour-and-a-half that was lost before lunch, T&T bowled with purpose to keep the CCC batsmen in check.
Only Kyle Corbin showed any fluency with half-dozen fours in an unbeaten 56 from 158 balls in close to 3-1/2 hours.
T&T had limited the CCC to 38 without loss at tea before they started to make headway after the break.
Kieron Pollard made the breakthrough, when he had Omar Phillips hit wickets for 15 before off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth trapped Nekoli Parris lbw for 17 to leave the CCC on 64 for two.
Imran Khan added the scalp of Jamal Smith caught at short leg for five before Ravi Rampaul bowled Floyd Reifer for 16, after the long-standing left-hander had become one of the latest batsman to reach 1,000 runs for the season when he had scored 14.
Earlier, T&T resumed from their overnight total of 95 for six, but rain allowed only half-hour in the morning session following a prompt start, leaving T&T 108 for six at lunch.
The skies cleared and the fierce battle for first innings points resumed after the scheduled lunch interval.
Before they reached the threshold, T&T lost Sherwin Ganga caught in the slips off Khismar Catlin for 26, and top-scorer Jason Mohammed caught at short leg off Ryan Austin for 30.
T&T were 140 for eight, but Rampaul joined Gibran Mohammed and they took the visitors over the line, before Mohammed fell for five to Catlin, who also claimed Atiba Allert for a duck to bring the T&T innings to a close.
Catlin ended with three for 54 from 22.3 overs, and Ryan Austin three for 60 from 25 overs, while Shevron Penco did not bowl and had the final figures of three for 32 from 10 overs.
Neither side has a chance to win the Trophy which has already been claimed by last year’s champions Jamaica, who have drawn a bye for the final round.
But T&T, third on 66 points, will be fancying their chances against the sixth-placed CCC, who have not lost in their last five outings and have managed victories against second-placed Windward Islands and fifth-placed Barbados.