GROS-ISLET, St. Lucia, CMC – A half-century from Trinidad & Tobago’s Nicholas Alexis trumped a penetrative spell from Jamaica’s Nicholson Gordon in the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Challenge yesterday.
Alexis hit the top score of 60, and Gordon captured four wickets for 47 runs from 15.4 overs, as Trinidad & Tobago were dismissed for 250 in their first innings.
Jamaica reached 37 without loss at the close on the first day of the first round match at the Gros-Islet Playing Field.
Alexis struck 10 fours and one six from 105 balls in just over 2 ½-hours, and featured in a stand of 63 for the third wicket with Yannic Cariah.
Mickel Francis made the breakthrough, when he bowled Keiron Joseph for 26, and Gordon set T&T back on 51 for two, when he had Evin Lewis caught behind for four.
Cariah joined Alexis, and carried T&T to 113 for two at lunch before Gordon had him caught behind for 28 shortly after the interval.
Jermaine Blackwood tightened Jamaica’s grip, when he bowled Akeal Hosein for six, and trapped Alexis lbw to leave T&T 131 for five.
T&T captain Yannic Ottley came to the crease, and steadied the ship in a stand of 49 with Derone Davis before he was dismissed just prior to tea to leave his side 180 for six at the break.
After tea, Davis carried on to make 44, and Teshawn Castro got 30, as the T&T lower-order showed there was some sting in their side’s tail.
But Gordon returned, and hastened the close of the innings, with the scalps of Castro caught, and Rickson Maniram bowled for 11.
Off-spinner Blackwood finished with two for 16 from 10.1 overs, and leg-spinner Horane Linton ended with two for 55.
