PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Adrian Barath continued his comeback from injury, and helped Trinidad & Tobago’s push to finish the season strongly to take shape against Windward Islands in the WICB regional first-class championship yesterday.
Barath followed up his first innings 59 with 79, as T&T, leading by 75 runs on first innings, declared on 297 for six in their second innings at tea on the third day of their sixth round match at Queen’s Park Oval.
T&T then tightened their grip on the match, when the Windwards, chasing a highly improbable, if not impossible 373 for victory, were reduced to 129 for five at the close.
All five T&T bowlers used snared a scalp, as Andre Fletcher got the top score of 42 for the visitors, and Liam Sebastien made 26.
Navin Stewart started the wobble for the Windwards, when he had Miles Bascombe caught at first slip for nine.
Shannon Gabriel then had Craig Emmanuel caught behind for 10 to leave the Windwards 30 for two.
T&T were then put on the back-foot, when Sebastien joined Fletcher, and they stabilised the innings with a stand of 59 for the third wicket. But T&T grabbed two wickets in quick succession to leave the Windwards 91 for four.
Amit Jaggernauth made the breakthrough, when he trapped Sebastien lbw, and Imran Khan had Fletcher caught behind top-edging a sweep.
T&T continued to hunt wickets, but Devon Smith and Rawl Lewis, the Windwards’ most decorated pair, again had them on the defensive, and appeared to be setting themselves up for a thrilling last day today.
But Sherwin Ganga brought the day to a satisfactory end for the hosts, when Smith, who has been hampered by a knee injury, was caught at slip for 14 off the very last ball of play to leave Lewis not out on 25.
Earlier, T&T resumed on their overnight total of 136 for one, and Barath, playing in his first match, following a hamstring injury he sustained in a Test against Australia last December, gave them the early momentum.
He reached his 50 from 107 balls with a single off Shane Shillingford in the first over of the day.
Barath added 102 for the second wicket with T&T captain Daren Ganga before he was caught at backward point off Garey Mathurin. He struck half-dozen fours and a pair of sixes from 174 balls in just under four hours.
Ganga gave Lewis a return catch two balls later, as the home team reached 206 for three at lunch.
This made way for Darren Bravo and Jason Mohammed, and they treated the small crowd to an array of handsome strokes either side of the wicket in a stand of 74 for the fourth wicket.
Mohammed was caught in the deep off Deighton Butler for 28, Bravo was caught at long-on off Kenroy Peters for 42, and Stewart was lbw for a first-ball duck, as T&T slid from 278 for three to 278 for six before their declaration came at the break.
T&T are fifth in the standings on 21 points, and the Windwards are sixth on 16 points.
