T&T take honours as Guyana, Barbados make inroads

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Reigning champions Trinidad and Tobago made a strong start to their title defence, taking honours on the opening day of their first round match in the Regional Under-19 three-day championship against Windward Islands here Monday.

Raymond Perez

Sent in at Conaree, T&T were dismissed for 233 with Saiba Batoosingh top-scoring with 60, Leonardo Julien getting 42 and captain and opener Navin Bidaisee chipping in with 27.

Dillon Douglas (3-27) and Lee Louisy (3-59) were the leading bowlers with three wickets apiece.

At the close, the Windwards were reeling on 68 for five in reply, after Bidaisee (2-0) and Aaron Maniram (2-19) claimed two wickets apiece to wreck the innings.

The Windwards were cruising at 51 without loss after Wayne Edward (39) and Johann Jeremiah (19) staged a solid opening stand but five wickets then tumbled for 17 runs to leave the innings in strife.

Earlier, T&T had been slumping at 58 for three before Batoosingh anchored two successive partnerships to put the innings back on course.

The right-hander faced 72 balls and struck nine fours, adding 51 for the fourth wicket with Christian Thurton (26) and a further 40 for the fifth wicket with Aaron Maniram (18).

When Batoosingh and Maniram fell in the space of two deliveries to leave T&T on 151 for six, Julien found an ally in Avinash Mahabirsingh (19) to post a valuable 47 for the seventh wicket.

Ramnarine Chatura

At Verchilds, Ramnarine Chatura struck 62 as Guyana, opting to bat first against Leeward Islands, were bowled out for 220. Chatura counted nine fours and two sixes in a 116-ball knock and got support from opener Raymond Perez who gathered 48 off 114 deliveries with four fours and three sixes.

Kian Pemberton (3-51) and Zawandi White (3-56) were the leading wicket-takers with three wickets apiece.

Guyana lost Alex Algoo without a run on the board but Perez put on 43 for the second wicket with Kevin Sinclair (20) to revive the innings.

When the innings collapsed to 120 for six, Chatura stepped up to post 52 for the seventh wicket with Richie Looknauth (14).

In reply, the Leewards stumbled to 17 for one at the close, still 203 runs behind.

At St Paul’s, opener Shian Brathwaite and Kilano Brathwaite struck contrasting half-centuries but Barbados lost their last seven wickets for 83 runs to be dismissed for 192 in their first innings.

Shian smashed 66 off 62 balls with seven fours and four sixes while Kilano’s 53 was a patient knock, requiring 172 balls and including just two fours.

Shian and Kadeem Alleyne (10) put on 51 for the first wicket while Kilano added 30 for the fourth wicket with Nico Reifer (10) but wickets tumbled steadily thereafter. Kristoph Virgo (3-43) and David Bird (3-53) both finished with three wickets apiece.

In reply, Jamaica were reduced to 11 for two with left-arm spinner Camarie Boyce grabbing both wickets.