TRINIDAD AND Tobago were just four wickets away from victory against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) yesterday up to press time on the penultimate day of their day/night WICB Regional Four-Day match at the 3Ws Oval, Barbados.
After the “Red Force” was dismissed for 168 in the second innings for a lead of 286 runs, TT pacer Shannon Gabriel delivered a double blow while wily off-spinner Sunil Narine took four wickets to leave CCC in a spin and staring defeat on 69 for six batting a second time yesterday.
CCC were dismissed for a miserly 111 in their first innings on Saturday, conceding a vital 118 runs on first innings. But the TT batsman failed to capitalise on their advantage and left the door slightly ajar for their opponents.
Jason Holder snared two wickets for 21 runs from four overs and Jason Dawes scalped the prized wicket of Kieron Pollard, as TT reached 106 for five at the end of day two for a lead of 224.
TT suffered an early setback, when West Indies opener Lendl Simmons retired hurt on zero, after he was struck on his left knee by a delivery from Kevin McClean and had to be helped off the field.
The visitors ran into further trouble, when Adrian Barath, another West Indies opener, was caught behind down the leg side off Holder for one on the stroke of tea, leaving TT five for one.
After tea, the “Red Force” made steady, if not spectacular progress, but they lost West Indies left-hander Darren Bravo, when Holder bowled him with an in-swinging yorker for one in the first half-hour following the break.
Dwayne Bravo, Darren’s elder brother, soon followed caught at slip on the second attempt by Kyle Corbin playing defensively forward to off-spinner Ryan Austin for 13, wobbling TT on 36 for three.
TT captain Denesh Ramdin, a West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman, joined Jason Mohammed and they stemmed the fall of wickets with resolute batting.
They added 46 for the fourth wicket before Mohammed was adjudged lbw to leg-spinner Nkrumah Bonner for 31 before Kieron Pollard was caught behind off Jason Dawes, rocking TT on 92 for five.
Resuming his innings yesterday, Ramdin continued where he left off with a patient innings. Wickets continued to fall around him as he lost Rayad Emrit and Imran Khan in quick succession. He moved to 40 before he was bowled by Holder who finished with a five-wicket haul.
Some lusty lower order hitting from Narine pushed TT past 250 and in position to push for a victory. Narine smashed four boundaries and two sixes in an exciting knock of 34 not out as TT were eventually bowled out for 168.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 229 - Kieron Pollard 60, Adrian Barath 28, Jason Mohammed 20; Ryan Austin 7/84, Kevin McClean 2/43 & 168 - Denesh Ramdin 40, Sunil Narine 34, Jason Mohammed 31; Jason Holder 5/48, Ryan 2/52 vs CCC 111 - Yannick Ottley 32, Kyle Corbin 25; Sunil Narine 5/22, Dwayne Bravo 2/38 & 69/6
