BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Captain Denesh Ramdin fell short of a 16th first class hundred while Lendl Simmons and opener Joshua Da Silva both also hit half-centuries, as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force left Barbados Pride with a difficult run chase on today’s final day of their seventh round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship.
Leading by 76 on first innings after dismissing the hosts for 282 in their first innings, Red Force wasted little time in rattling up 247 for six declared in their second innings, with Ramdin top-scoring with 86 and both Simmons and rookie Da Silva getting 65.
Set 324 for victory, Pride ended Saturday’s penultimate day on 15 without loss, requiring a further 309 for victory on the final day.
Once again, the day belonged to Red Force. First, they took the last three Pride wickets for just 44 runs, after the home side resumed the morning on 238 for seven.
Ashley Nurse, unbeaten overnight on 71, added just four and stretched his eighth wicket partnership with wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott (63) to 117 before falling in the day’s fourth over, caught at slip by Bryan Charles off leg-spinner Yannic Cariah who ended with five for 59.
Walcott, resuming the day on 34, then gathered precious runs for Pride as he fashioned his maiden first class half-century in adding an important 30 for the ninth wicket with Chemar Holder (6).
Walcott faced 150 balls in 188 minutes and struck four fours.
Red Force endured an early setback in their second innings when left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano hooked at the first ball of the innings from pacer Marquino Mindley and was taken at fine leg without a run on the board.
Any hopes Pride harboured of making further inroads then perished, however, as Simmons and Da Silva added 108 for the second wicket.
Simmons, who hit a century in the first innings, again shone brightly with seven fours and two sixes in an entertaining 71-ball knock while Da Silva played the anchor role with five fours off 139 balls in three hours at the crease.
Seamer Holder removed Simmons to a leg-side catch but Ramdin, promoted to number four, added to Pride’s frustrations by putting a further 67 for the third wicket with Da Silva and 62 for the sixth wicket with Imran Khan (25 not out).
All told, Ramdin hit five fours and a six off 109 deliveries in just under 2-½ hours at the crease, before falling to a catch at mid-wicket off off-spinner Nurse (3-62) to trigger the declaration.
