Guyana Harpy Eagles vice-captain, Keemo Paul, bagged a five-wicket haul as his side kept Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to 203 for nine from 90 overs at the end of the first day in the West Indies Championship final round.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Red Force were rocked early by the right-arm seamer who penetrated the gap between the bat and pad of Keagan Simmons as he played across the line of a delivery nipping back slightly on middle stump with just six runs on the board.
Despite two solid partnerships by the Red Force batsmen, Paul returned to run through the lower order and registered his fourth five-wicket haul with figures of 5-41 as Red Force lost six wickets for just 25 runs.
Jeremy Solozano however, frustrated the Guyana bowlers, despite being dropped on 41 in the slip off of Nial Smith, with a nearly five-hour vigil that soaked up 252 balls for a top score of 72. He clubbed six boundaries during his stint and shared in a vital 54-run partnership with Isaiah Rajah.
That partnership was broken by off-spinner, Kevin Sinclair who trapped Rajah leg before wicket for a 56-ball 26, but that brought Jason Mohammed to the crease and the duo added
118 for the third wicket. The pair’s three-hour long partnership faced a combined 313 deliveries with Mohammed seeing 140 of those sent down to him. The 35-year-old registered his 16th first-class half-century, hitting 10 boundaries during his 68.
The pair saw Red Force to lunch on 71 for two, and then to tea on 149 for two, but when Mohammed was caught at first slip by Leon Johnson off the bowling of Demetri Cameron, four overs later, Solozano chipped to left-arm spinner, Gudakesh Motie (2-35) who snapped a sharp and low return catch.
The contest resumes today at 10.00 hours.
