POINTE-A-PIERRE, Trinidad, CMC – Consistent batting down the order led by Denesh Ramdin, Runako Morton, and Rayad Emrit put Trinidad & Tobago on the brink of first innings points against Barbados in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.
Ramdin and Morton both scored 85, Emrit was not out on 82, and Imran Khan made 49, as T&T, replying to Barbados’ first innings total of 395, reached 390 for nine in their first round contest at Guaracara Park.
Kevin Stoute was the most successful Barbados bowler with three wickets for 69 runs from 19 overs, Jason Holder captured two for 54 from 15 overs, and Tino Best took two for 64 for 16 overs.
T&T ran into trouble at 168 for five at lunch, after Best and Stoute collected two wickets apiece.
After the home team resumed on 55 for one, Lendl Simmons, the Most Valuable Player in the recent Caribbean Twenty20 Championship, was lbw to Stoute for 14 playing across the line.
Left-hander Aneil Kanhai, playing for his country for the first time in seven years, was bowled by Stoute for six.
Jason Mohammed joined Morton, and stemmed the fall of wickets before he was caught at mid wicket off Best for 10, who also bowled Morton to leave T&T on 131 for five.
Khan joined stand-in T&T captain Ramdin, and they brought the hosts back into the match with a stand of 100 for the sixth wicket either side of the interval.
Ramdin batted with great poise, and Khan complemented him wonderfully, as the leather started to fly around the park.
Just when it appeared they were getting back into the hunt, Khan left his leg-stump exposed, and was bowled.
After his dismissal, Ramdin would find Emrit as another stable ally, and they carried T&T to 280 for six at tea and proceeded to put on 87 for the seventh wicket.
With a hundred beckoning, Ramdin received a perfect off-cutter from Jason Holder that lifted a bit more than he expected, and he edged it into the hands of second slip to leave T&T 318 for seven.
In the last session, Emrit rallied with the lower order to keep T&T in the hunt, adding 35 with Dave Mohammed and 33 with Amit Jaggernauth.
