PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh stroked his 12th first class century to haul Jamaica out of trouble on the opening day of their fifth round clash against Trinidad and Tobago here yesterday.
The diminutive right–hander cracked 101 as Jamaica finished the day on 242 for nine after opting to bat first at Queen’s Park Oval.
Jamaica were struggling at one stage at 84 for six until Baugh arrived to launch his rescue mission.
He added 93 for the seventh wicket with Nikita Miller who scored 39, a partnership that put Jamaica on course for a respectable total.
Baugh has so far batted 193 minutes faced 154 balls and struck nine fours and a six.
Opener Danza Hyatt offered support with 53 but was sixth out with the score on 84, with Baugh just having arrived at the crease on four.
T&T’s main weapon was the beanpole left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh who grabbed six for 80 on his debut for Trinidad and Tobago.
Kantasingh, who has played first class cricket in the past for Combined Campuses and Colleges, picked up a wicket in his first over and proceeded to torment the Jamaicans.
T&T were left with only themselves to blame, as their fielders put down several catches, including three during the Baugh/Miller stand.
After heavy overnight and early morning rain delayed the start by an hour and a half, Jamaica made a stuttering start to their innings.
When Brenton Parchment (6) edged a drive at Kantasingh and was taken at slip by Kevon Cooper at 20 for one, it started a rut that saw wickets fall regularly as fellow opener Donovan Pagon (4) and Brendan Nash (1) fell with a further six runs added.
Hyatt combined with captain Tamar Lambert (12) in a 54-run fourth wicket partnership to repair the damage, however.
The right-hander played positively, striking three fours and three sixes off 80 balls in a shade over two hours at the crease, before slashing fast bowler Shannon Gabriel to Justin Guillen at gully.
Three wickets then tumbled for four runs to leave Jamaica against the ropes until Baugh’s heroics unfolded.
Scoreboard
JAMAICA 1st innings
D Hyatt c Guillen b Gabriel 53
B Parchment c Cooper b Kantasingh 6
D Pagon b Emrit 4
B Nash lbw b Kantasingh 1
*T Lambert lbw b Kantasingh 12
D Bernard st G Mohammed b Kantasingh 4
+C Baugh not out 101
N Miller lbw Kantasingh 39
A Richardson c wkp G Mohammed b Kantasingh 9
O Brown c S Ganga b Khan 4
S Cotterell not out 7
Extras (b2) 2
TOTAL (9 wkts, 74.3 overs) 242
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-25, 3-26, 4-80, 5-84, 6-84, 7-177, 8-207, 9-214.
Bowling: Gabriel 12-0-44-1, Emrit 12-4-32-1, Kantasingh 26-5-80-6, Khan 14-2-41-1, Kanhai 3.3-1-10-0, Ganga 3-0-19-0, Cooper 4-0-14-0.
T&T – *R Emrit, J Guillen, A Kanhai, J Mohammed, K Cooper, I Khan, S Ganga, +G Mohammed, K Kantasingh, S Gabriel, M Barclay.
Toss: Jamaica.
