BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A brilliant innings of 99 from Sherwin Ganga rescued Trinidad and Tobago from the brink of disaster on the opening day of their WICB first-class match against Barbados at Kensington Oval yesterday.
The left-hander fell one short of what would have been his maiden century at this level, as the visitors closed the day on 271 for nine.
Pedro Collins, the experienced left-arm pacer was Barbados’ best bowler with four for 40 from 17 overs – with his first three wickets coming in the first 45 minutes.
With the innings starting in overcast conditions, Collins got the new ball to misbehave on a helpful pitch and he ripped out the heart of the Trinidadian batting.
Lendl Simmons went without scoring with a single run on the board and captain Daren Ganga (11) and Jason Mohammed (0) also went cheaply as the visitors slipped to 26 for three, as Collins wreaked havoc.
They further tumbled to 115 for five before Sherwin Ganga came together with Imran Khan (39) to add a priceless 116 for the sixth wicket.
The 27-year-old Ganga, a steady left-hander with a penchant for the off-side, weathered the storm by being watchful before later going on the attack.
He got a chance at 27 when Dale Richards muffed a head-high offering at slip off the bowling of the persevering fast bowler Tino Best.
The score was then 111 for four and Barbados would rue that miss, one of four chances spilled with three coming off the bowling of Best, who ended the day with two for 61.
Ganga faced 213 balls and hit 11 boundaries and a six in four hours at the crease before his defiance came to a spectacular end.
In trying to get his 100th run, he stroked a ball back towards bowler Ryan Hinds, who dived full stretch to his left to make the one-handed save. He then got up and threw down the stumps in one motion as Ganga came up a few inches short, after diving in an attempt to make his ground.
Khan, meanwhile, took 17 balls and half-hour to get off the mark but after that, played well and helped Ganga to pull the innings together.
He faced 110 balls and hit three fours and a six and took a liking to the bowling of Nikolai Charles, crashing a six and a four in the leg-spinner’s first over.
Khan looked set for a good score but was ruffled in the afternoon by Best, and was eventually leg-before to the same bowler.
Earlier, opener Justin Guillen hit a polished 47 – one short of his career-best score – from 59 balls with five boundaries and looked an accomplished player in adding 66 with Sherwin Ganga.
He looked set to reach his half-century when he drove at a wide ball from seamer Kevin Stoute and was snapped up behind by wicketkeeper Patrick Browne.
