A well constructed innings from the experienced Jason Mohammed yesterday on day two, kept T&T in the match against the Windward Islands in the West Indies Cricket Board Professional Cricket League at the National Cricket Centre in Couva.
Mohammed, who led T&T to the Nagico Super50 title earlier this year, ended on an unbeaten 79 to guide T&T to 228/4 at the close in response to the Windwards first innings score of 350. Mohammed’s knock came off 116 balls, including 11 fours and one six.
After Jeremy Solozano (31), Imran Khan (22) and Kjorn Ottley (20) were all dismissed after getting starts, T&T was 79/3 and in need of a partnership. Mohammed was watchful at the start, successfully seeing through some tight bowling from spin bowler Shane Shillingford and left-arm medium pacer Delorn Johnson.
The right-hander was however quick to punish the bowlers especially through the off side. While Mohammed looked for runs, left-handed Yannic Cariah was happy to play the supporting role.
Cariah broke the shackles just before tea when he pulled a short ball for four off Johnson to move into double figures.
At the tea interval T&T progressed to 106/3 with Mohammed on 19 and Cariah on 12.
After a watchful period at the start of the final session, Mohammed and Cariah started to grow in confidence. Cariah struck medium pace bowler Kenroy Peters for two overs in one over, while Mohammed continued to look strong through the off side.
The pair also rode their luck, as Mohammed was dropped on 25 at mid wicket and Cariah was put down at first slip.
Cariah’s luck eventually ran out when he was 40. Shillingford, bowling from the pavilion end trapped him leg before to leave T&T on 157/4 ending the 78-run partnership.
Kieron Pollard, playing in his first match for T&T since the Nagico Super50, joined Mohammed.
An unbroken 71-run stand between the pair avoided a middle order collapse as the pair took T&T to stumps without any further damage.
T&T is hoping that Pollard, who is unbeaten on 27, and Mohammed can bat long today as the home team is one batsman short. Daniel St Clair is not expected to play for the remainder of the match due to a kidney infection.
Earlier, two wickets each from Khan and Rayad Emrit dismissed Windward Islands quickly in the first session.
Resuming on 304/6 in the first innings, Windwards Islands was bowled out for 350, only adding 46 runs. Khan ended with 6/127 from 37.3 overs, while Romel Currency could only add seven to his overnight 52.
At Warner Park, Barbados is in a strong position against the Leeward Islands, getting to 268/6 in response to the Leeward Islands first innings score of 215.
At Guyana National Stadium, Jamaica bowled out Guyana for 236 to earn a 22-run lead on first innings. Jamaica then closed on 22/1 in the second innings.