A MOST remarkable day of topsy-turvy action, highlighted by a clatter of early wickets, a sterling fightback from the batsmen, missed chances and verbal exchanges, ended with a ding-dong battle for first innings honours between Barbados and Trinidad andTobago yesterday.
More than 2,000 spectators left Guaracara Park with plenty to talk about after watching the hosts move to within six runs of first innings lead – which represented a grand recovery after Barbados had them on the ropes early on the third day of their first-round WICB four-day match.
Defending an imposing 395, Barbados were cock-a-hoop and probably thinking about having an option to enforce the followon when they reduced their bitter arch-rivals to 131 for five in the pre-lunch period, thanks to two wickets apiece from Tino Best and Kevin Stoute.
But by the time stumps were drawn six hours later, Trinidad and Tobago were 390 for nine. The match had swung full circle and a recovery was orchestrated with the help of vital partnerships in which captain Denesh Ramdin and Rayad Emrit were the principal contributors.
Ramdin made 86, the same score as Runako Morton, while Emrit, batting at No. 8 and with the presence of a runner late in the evening, weighed in with an unbeaten 82.
In large measure, however, Trinidad and Tobago were helped by Barbados’ inability to hold on to at least five clear chances. Additionally, there were other near misses that made the frustration even greater.
Things reached a high point in the post-tea session when players on both sides traded words on a couple of occasions that painted the kind of picture the game can do without.
The situation was probably triggered by the close nature of the battle but it probably went a bit too far and it won’t be a surprise if a few players are hauled before the match referee.
Double-strike
Barbados made all the running in the first session, knocking over four wickets, including the key scalp of Morton to the livewire Best who put the disappointment of the previous evening behind him to claim a double-strike in his first over of the day.
Best probably deserved more after constantly producing full length balls that threatened the stumps and he could not believe his luck when little wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich spilled a straightforward chance when Ramdin was on 66.
By then, the first major miss of the day had been put down and it was another relatively easy offering to Kraigg Brathwaite at extra-cover that allowed Imran Khan, who was in single digits at the time, to make 49 in a sixth-wicket partnership of exactly 100 with Ramdin.
Before Best’s double-strike, medium-pacer Stoute accounted for the first two wickets of the day when he was called on to replace an ineffective Collins, who came back later in the day and was promptly removed from the attack after one over with the new ball in which Emrit lashed him for three leg-side fours.
Bowling between wicket and wicket, Stoute had Lendl Simmons lbw and hit the stumps of left-hander Aneil Kanhai.
Captain Ryan Hinds had a lengthy bowl, wheeling away for more than two hours at the start. Hinds bowled with good control, extracted some turn but didn’t have the luck going his way when several chances went close to the hands of close-in fielders.
Seventh-wicket stand
After the stand between Ramdin and Khan, the captain got together with Emrit to add 87 for the seventh wicket. Emrit looked unconvincing at the beginning but gradually asserted himself and took control of proceedings when he was in the company of the tailenders.
When Ramdin edged a catch to second slip to give tall fast bowler Jason Holder a deserved wicket after an innings that lasted three and a quarter hours in which he faced 154 balls and struck 11 fours, Barbados were favoured for the lead with the total on 318 for seven, but Emrit found useful partners in Dave Mohammed and Amit Jaggernauth to bring the total within reach.
At 387 for nine, there was an opportunity for Barbados to claim the points, but Kyle Hope, running back from mid-on, was unable to hold on to a chance from Emrit that wasn’t altogether one that anyone would gobble up.
Emrit, who had to use a runner for the last hour after damaging his ankle in a collision with Best, has been at the crease for three hours, during which time he has faced 137 balls and struck nine fours.
Significantly, however, he will not have the strike when the action resumes at 9:30 a.m. today when No. 11 Shannon Gabriel faces up to the first ball.