By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel, TCL,
Pepsi, Smalta, Demerara Power Company
& Lifetime Realty
It’s come down to crunch time and defending champions Guyana ended the opening day of their crucial final round TCL Group three-day cricket match against Trinidad and Tobago holding the slight advantage after they were asked to bat on a good track which had some early life.
By the close, Trinidad and Tobago were 22-0 from four overs, still 206 runs behind Guyana’s 227 with first-class opener Adrian Barath on 12 and Evin Lewis on eight.
Trevon Griffith (48), Anthony Bramble (41), Dilon Heyliger (36), Skipper Eugene LaFleur (30) and Seon Hetmyer (27) all failed to build on starts as Guyana’s inconsistent batting continued with the South Americans losing their last four wickets for 26 runs 15 minutes before the close.
Trinidad and Tobago under-17 Skipper, ended with 3-24 on debut while Kjorn Ottley (2-37) and Ramoutar (2-39) supported for T&T.
Sixteen-year-old pacer Keon Joseph in a hostile two-over spell peppered Barath with a barrage of bouncers two of which the West Indies under-19 right-hander edged over the slip cordon for boundaries.
With Jamaica, who made 255 and have leaders Barbados on the run on 86-5, doing both Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana a favor, as a Barbados win will give them the title, an interesting second day is anticipated and Barath’s role is critical if his team is to dethrone Guyana by winning outright.
An early wicket for Guyana today, especially Barath’s, one of nine centurions in the competition, could give them the opening they need to press for important first innings points as they hope that the Jamaicans can win outright against Barbados.