Barbados Pride were battling to avoid an embarrassing defeat 20 minutes after tea yesterday after losing three wickets following a late declaration on the final day of the day/night pink ball first-round Digicel Regional Four-Day cricket contest at Kensington Oval.
Set 238 for victory off a minimum 30 overs in the final session, the hosts lost openers Shayne Moseley and Anthony Alleyne and No. 3 batsman Mario Rampersaud to limp to 15 for three off three overs.
Moseley hooked pacer Roshon Primus to fine leg where Marlon Richards took a well judged diving catch in just the second over of the innings.
In the same over, Alleyne edged to wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo, and in the third over, Rampersaud misjudged the line of a delivery which he left alone and was out lbw to Richards for a first-ball duck.
Resuming the final day on 31 without loss, leading by just 20, the Red Force declared ten minutes short of the scheduled 6:30 p.m. tea break.
Amir Jangoo and Jeremy Solozano extended their opening stand to 99. Pride captain Kevin Stoute broke the stand 15 minutes short of two hours into the day following another early 1:30 p.m. start to make up for time lost on the opening day due to rain.
Solozano, playing defensively to the right-arm medium-pacer, edged to wicketkeeper Rampersaud, who dived forward to take a low catch.
Immediately following the refreshment break – taken at the fall of Solozano’s wicket – Jangoo’s defensive prod yielded a catch to Rampersaud off spinner Kenroy Williams.
Isaiah Rajah, son of former Trinidad and Tobago batsman Aneil Rajah, and Ewart Nicholson repaired the damage in a third-wicket stand of 57 before another double strike gave the visitors cause for concern.
Rajah was bowled by off-spinner Ashley Nurse (two for 25) and Tion Webster, promoted above his captain, swept his second delivery to Jomel Warrican at leg slip, who took a sharp catch to leave Red Force on 156 for four.
Nicholson and Denesh Ramdin showed some enterprise in adding an even 50 for the fifth wicket. Nicholson swept Warrican over mid-wicket for six and punched him to the cover boundary off the next delivery.
Nicholson reached his second half-century of the match in 113 minutes off 104 balls with a six and four fours.
The 200 for the Red Force was raised in 248 minutes off 384 deliveries, while the 50-partnership between Ramdin and Nicholson was achieved in just 50 minutes off 88 balls. Nicholson contributed 27 and Ramdin 23.
After Nicholson drove Warrican to substitute Haydn Walsh at extra cover, Primus helped Ramdin add a breezy 50 off 42 balls in 36 minutes before the declaration came.
Ramdin, who hit a polished century in the first innings, was not out on 56, and Primus on 13. (PH)