ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago, led by fast-medium bowlers Rayad Emrit and Shannon Gabriel, made hay while the sun shone in the WICB Regional first-class championship against Combined Campuses & Colleges yesterday.
Emrit collected three wickets for 11 runs from 7.3 overs, Gabriel captured three for 73 from 14 overs, and off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth snared two for six from four overs, as the CCC, sent in to bat, were dismissed for 131 in their first innings on the rain-shortened opening day of their second round match.
The visitors needed a top score of 23 from T&T-born, Barbadian tail-ender Ryan Austin to reach a respectable total, and T&T wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin also distinguished himself, when he held seven catches to equal the record for the most dismissals in an innings in the modern regional first-class championship (1966 onwards).
Kevin McClean then took two for 16 from six overs, as the CCC hit back in the last 1 ½ hours to leave T&T 45 for two in response at the UWI Sports & Physical Education Complex.
Left-handed opener Justin Guillen has held the T&T top-order batting together with 23 not out.
McClean had opener Lendl Simmons caught in the slips for six, and then bowled Runako Morton for three to leave T&T wobbling on 32 for two.
Earlier, not a ball was bowled before lunch, after a wet outfield, caused by rain, delayed the start.
Following two inspections of the ground, umpires Richard Illingworth and Peter Nero indicated that play could commence 10 minutes after the scheduled lunch interval.
It took the T&T bowlers little time to get into the thick of things on a lively pitch, and the CCC sunk to 87 for eight tea.
Emrit made the breakthrough, when he had Romel Currency for a duck, and Kyle Corbin for five – both caught by Ramdin, who also held a catch to send CCC captain Omar Phillips packing for 19 to leave the visitors 25 for three.
Rookies Raymon Reifer and Nkrumah Bonner temporarily stemmed the fall of wickets, but another cluster of wickets saw the CCC plummet even further.
Austin and McClean added 31 for the ninth wicket in the only meaning resistance from the CCC before the T&T bowlers quickly wrapped things up.
Ramdin equalled the record, which is currently shared by the unrelated Barbadian namesakes, Courtney and Patrick Browne.
Both sides made one change. For T&T, Daren Ganga has overcome a hand injury to replace Jason Mohammed, and for CCC, T&T-born Kjorn Ottley made way for first-class newcomer Carlos Brathwaite.
T&T are fourth in the competition on six points, after they gained first innings points in their drawn opening match against arch-rivals Barbados on home soil at Guaracara Park.
CCC are co-leaders with the three-time defending champions Jamaica and invitational side England Lions on 12 points, following a 33-run victory over Windward Islands, after conceding first innings points also on home soil at the Three Ws Oval.
CCC have won their last two matches against T&T.
