TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Jason Mohammed’s 11th first class hundred put Barbados Pride’s five-game winning streak under threat as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force took command of their seventh round encounter here yesterday.
Trailing by 21 runs on first innings after Pride were dismissed for 260 early on yesterday’s penultimate day, Red Force produced one of their best batting efforts of the Regional Four-Day campaign to pile up 343 for nine in their second innings, with Mohammed hammering a classy unbeaten 113.
Barbadian Kyle Hope chipped in with 67 at the top of the order and Akeal Hosein stroked a better than run-a-ball 55, as the hosts pressed home their advantage to take a 322-run lead into today’s final day at the Brian Lara Stadium.
Red Force have not won in the championship since they beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the second round, suffering two defeats and stalemates in the last four fixtures.
Seeking to break that poor run of form, they needed just 10 balls to wrap up the Pride innings as the visitors added only six runs to their overnight 254 for nine.
Fast bowler Anderson Phillip added the wicket to fall to his tally to end with six for 59.
Hope then provided the early impetus for Red Force in an innings requiring 126 balls in just over 2-½ hours and including 11 fours.
He put on 45 for the first wicket with debutant Cephas Cooper (14) and then added a further 34 for the second with Isaiah Rajah who spent nearly 50 minutes over three, as Red Force reached lunch on 88 for two. Cooper fell softly after facing 37 balls in an hour at the crease, clipping an ordinary full length delivery from medium pacer Kyle Mayers to short mid-wicket while the left-handed Rajah played down the wrong line to off-spinner Ashley Nurse (4-70) and was trapped lbw.
After the break, Hope extended his third wicket stand with Mohmmed to 45 before finally perishing in the seventh over following the resumption, bowled by one from left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-69) that spun past his defensive prod and rocked off-stump.
Unbeaten on nine at lunch Mohammed, took charge for Red Force, punching 15 fours off 221 balls in 4-½ hours at the crease.
He posted significant partnerships of 46 for the fifth wicket with Jyd Goolie (16) and 86 for the seventh with Hosein, who belted seven fours in a 52-ball cameo.
On 62 at tea with Red Force on 200 for five, Mohammed reached his landmark in the final hour when he drove fast bowler Chemar Holder crisply to the straight boundary.