TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Leg-spinner Imran Khan snatched his 19th five-wicket haul in first class cricket but it proved in vain as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force were held to a draw by Jamaica Scorpions on the final day of their second round contest here yesterday.
The 33-year-old finished with six for 59 as Scorpions, resuming the day on 29 for one in their second innings were dismissed for a paltry 141 at the Brian Lara Stadium.
Captain Paul Palmer top-scored with 52 and Derval Green got 30 but the visitors collapsed from 100 for four at one stage, losing their last six wickets for just 41 runs.
Set 193 for victory, Red Force ended on 84 or three with captain Denesh Ramdin hitting an unbeaten 31 and Green returning with his pace to capture two for 55.
Red Force stumbled early on losing both openers as Jeremy Solozano fell for seven and Amir Jangoo for 17, both to Green in successive overs.
Solozano was caught at the wicket and Jangoo bowled, as Red Force slipped to 29 for two and when Roshon Primus was run out for nine, Red Force were in deeper trouble at 45 for three.
But Ramdin battened down the hatches in an innings lasting 42 deliveries and a shade over three-quarters of an hour, as he put on 39 with Tion Webster who ended 15 not out.
Earlier, Scorpions slipped to 48 for four in the morning session after Garth Garvey (20), Brandon King (3) and Assad Fudadin (8), all fell in quick succession.
With Scorpions only 99 runs ahead at this stage, Palmer and Green came together to frustrate Red Force in a 52-run fifth wicket partnership and take their side to lunch at 67 for four.
For Palmer, it was his third first class half-century and he faced 183 balls, in just under 3-1/4 hours and struck three fours.
Green, meanwhile, thumped three fours and a six in 69-ball knock before driving firmly back to Imran Khan who took a smart catch diving to his right.
With six runs added, Romaine Morrison followed, caught low down at forward short leg by Solozano off Imran Khan for five.
And first inning century-maker Fabian Allen offered little resistance this time around when he failed to score, missing a cut five balls later in the same over and seeing his stumps rattled.
Palmer reached the tea interval on 48 with Scorpions 133 for eight, and managed to add just four more runs before he was ninth out to the third ball following the resumption, lbw to left-arm spinner Khary Pierre.
SCOREBOARD
SCORPIONS 1st innings 431
RED FORCE 1st innings 380-7 decl.
SCORPIONS 2nd innings
(overnight 29 for one)
T Griffith c Richards b Pr 10
G Garvey b Imran Khan 20
A Fudadin c wkp Jangoo b Imran Khan 8
B King lbw b Richards 3
*P Palmer lbw b K Pierre 52
D Green c and b Imran Khan 30
+R Morris c Solozano b Imran Kh 5
F Allen b Imran Khan 0
D Bulli lbw b Imran Khan 3
J Dawes not out 2
P Harrison c Charles b Pierre 3
Extras (b3, nb2) 5
TOTAL (all out, 83 overs) 141
Fall of wicket: 1-18, 2-37, 3-40, 4-48, 5-100, 6-106, 7-106, 8-119, 9-137, 10-141.
Bowling: Richards 11-6-13-1, Primus 5-2-16-1, Imran Khan 37-12-59-6, Pierre 19-5-40-2, Charles 11-7-10-0.
RED FORCE 2nd Innings (target: 193 runs)
+A Jangoo c wkp Morris b Green 8
J Solozano b Green 17
R Primus run out 9
*D Ramdin not out 31
T Webster not out 15
Extras (b1, w3) 4
TOTAL (3 wkts, 19 overs) 84
Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-29, 3-46.
Bowling: Green 9-0-55-2, Dawes 7-0-23-0, Harrison 2-0-2-0, King 1-0-3-0.
Result: Match drawn.
Toss: Red Force.
Umpires: J Wilson, D Butler.
