Devendra Bishoo bagged a seven wicket haul on his return to the national side which dwarfed half-centuries from Trinidad & Tobago’s Darren Bravo and Evin Lewis yesterday on day one of the final round of this year’s West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional 4-day tournament played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The discarded West Indies Test and ODI leg-spinner who was dropped from the team in the previous round due to substandard performances, conjured up a magnificent spell of spin bowling to claim a career-best 7 for 67 from 34 overs, recording his 11th first-class five-wicket
haul which completely bamboozled the Trini posse.
However, the aggressive left-hander Lewis, who struck eight fours and two sixes in his 88-ball 64, his fourth first-class score of 50 or more, was involved in a second-wicket stand of 93 with the stylish West Indies left-hander Bravo who struck nine fours and one six in during his innings of 61.
The second wicket stand was the foundation which left Trinidad comfortably placed on 276 for 8 from 93 overs at stumps, with Imran Khan (37) and Amit Jaggernauth (4) both unbeaten.
Electing to bat first Trinidad lost opener Lendl Simmons for 12 after he was caught by Vishaul Singh off the bowling of Keon Joseph who was the only other bowler apart from Bishoo to make inroads.
Despite the loss of the flashy Simmons, Lewis and the young Bravo stabilized the innings with Lewis being the first to bring up a brisk 50 with consecutive boundaries off Barnwell, taking their total to 115 for 1 heading into lunch.
Immediately after the lunch break Trinidad continued to exploit the ordinary Guyanese bowling picking up singles and boundaries at will but Bishoo broke the partnership when he had Lewis pinned LBW, breaking the batsman’s 143-minute stay at the crease.
Bravo, who was dropped by Guyana skipper Leon Johnson at slip when on 42, soon brought up his half-century with new man Jason Mohammed (17) at the crease but failed to carry on and was trapped LBW by Bishoo. The ex-West Indies spinner then removed Mohamed leaving the Trinidadians on 164 for 4.
Prior to the tea interval skipper Jonathan Augustus (15) provided Johnson with a regulation catch in the slip cordon which he made amends for earlier by expertly completing the task which gave Bishoo his fourth scalp of the day as the tourist headed into the tea interval with the score 187 for 5.
The final session saw the Trinidadians raising their 200-run mark in 63.1 overs, but they were continuing to lose wickets to Bishoo who stifled them with the ball removing opposition skipper Rayad Emrit (26) and Stephen Katwaroo (3) who was caught by his opposite number in Guyanese wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble.
Despite the wicket haul from Bishoo, Trinidad gained the psychological advantage when the 250-run mark was reached after 80-odd overs of competitive cricket. Guyanese-born Trinidadian player Marlon Richards (20) played well before he became the seventh victim of the rampant Bishoo and final wicket to fall for the day.
The actions continues today at 9:00hrs
