PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Fast bowler Miguel Cummins snatched career-best figures to fire Barbados to first innings points over Trinidad and Tobago, as 17 wickets tumbled on the opening day of the final round Regional Four-Day contest here yesterday.
The right-armer claimed seven for 45 to rout T&T for a paltry 109 after the visitors were sent in on a grassy Queen’s Park Oval pitch.
Seamer Javon Searles supported with two for 31 while all-rounder Imran Khan led the home side’s fight with an unbeaten 30.
At the close, Barbados were 143 for seven – a lead of 34 runs heading into Thursday’s second day.
Captain Kirk Edwards struck 29 and Shane Dowrich stroked 24 but seamer Rayad Emrit (2-40) kept T&T in the game.
Despite the seamer-friendly track, openers Lendl Simmons (18) and Adrian Barath (16) put on 32 for the first wicket before the drama began.
They were separated when Cummins got one to nip back and trap Simmons on the back foot while Barath drove the same bowler to captain Kirk Edwards at extra cover at 48 for two.
Four wickets then astonishingly fell for six runs to leave T&T tottering on 54 for five, as Cummins ran through the top order.
He had Jason Mohammed caught at second slip by Rashidi Boucher without scoring before claiming Kjorn Ottley to a catch at the wicket for 11. In between, captain Denesh Ramdin gloved a lifter from West Indies speedster Tino Best to Jonathan Carter at second slip.
However, Khan then anchored two small but key partnerships to see the hosts past the 100-run mark. He put on 20 for the sixth wicket with Yannick Cariah (8) and a further 23 with Emrit (12) for the seventh wicket.
In reply, Barbados slumped to 35 for three before Edwards and Dowrich stabilised the innings in a stand of 42 for the fourth wicket.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel broke the stand, however, when he had Dowrich caught at mid on and with just four runs added, Shai Hope fell to Simmons medium pace for two, as Barbados stuttered to 81 for five.
