BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Half-centuries from left-handers Jonathan Carter and Anthony Alleyne helped Barbados Pride claim a narrow first innings lead, but purposeful bowling gave Trinidad & Tobago Red Force a chance for a second straight victory over them in the Regional 4-Day Championship yesterday here.
Carter hit the top score of 85 and opener Alleyne made 84, as the Pride declared on 310 for nine – for a first innings lead of 10 – about 35 minutes before the scheduled close on the third day of their first-round match at Kensington Oval.
Veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan led the bowling effort to keep Red Force in the game, taking 3-68 from 33 overs, Daniel St. Clair grabbed 2-51 from 17 overs and leg-spinner Bryan Charles 2-63 from 23 overs.
Red Force erased the deficit before the close, reaching 31 without loss in their second innings – for a lead of 21 when stumps were drawn – with Amir Jangoo not out on 19 and Jeremy Solozano not out on 10, setting up an intriguing final day today.
Earlier, Carter hit 11 fours and one six from 180 balls in close to four hours at the crease and Alleyne collected 14 fours and one six from 128 balls in just over 2 ½ hours.
The flambuoyant Alleyne held the top half of the batting together, sharing 91 for the second wicket with left-handed wicketkeeper/batsman Mario Rampersaud, before he was one of two wickets off successive balls that left the innings at the crossroads on 127 for four.
The flashy Carter interspersed crisp stroke-play with periods of consolidation and shared successive half-century stands with his captain Kevin Stoute and Kenroy Williams before they all departed with the 300-run mark within reach.
Ashley Nurse with a typically muscular 20 rallied the lower order to get Barbados past the 300-run mark before his dismissal and the declaration aimed at sticking the Red Force batsmen in a precarious period before the close under the lights.
Starting the day on 42 for one, Alleyne was one of three batsmen dismissed, as the Pride reached 159 for four at the first interval.
Rampersaud made 24 and was caught at second slip off Charles, who also had Alleyne caught at backward point before Khan trapped regional newcomer Aaron Jones lbw for five next delivery to leave the Pride 127 for four. After the interval, Red Force met resistance from Carter in combination with Stoute before he was caught behind off St. Clair for 21 and then Williams, as the Pride reached 236 for five.
In the final period, the Red Force bowling tightened up with the lights in full effect, scoring became more difficult for the Pride batsman, and Williams cracked under the pressure when he was lbw playing back to Khan before Carter was run out looking for a needless second run.
SCOREBOARD
RED FORCE 1st Innings 300
PRIDE 1st Innings
(overnight 42 for one)
A Alleyne c Solozano b Charles 84
S Moseley b St Clair 3
+M Rampersaud c wkpr Ramdin b Charles 24
A Jones lbw b Khan 5
J Carter run out 85
K Stoute c wkpr Jangoo b St. Clair 21
K Williams lbw b Khan 27
J Greaves c wkpr Jangoo b Webster 15
A Nurse c (sub) Pierre b Khan 20
J Warrican not out 6
S Clarke not out 0
Extras (b7, lb4, nb9) 20
TOTAL (9 wkts decl’d, 104 overs) 310
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-118, 3-127, 4-127, 5-200, 6-260, 7-274, 8-304, 9-304
Bowling: Richards 11-1-39-0; St Clair 17-5-51-2 (nb2); Primus 15-7-38-0 (nb5); Charles 23-5-63-2; Khan 33-10-68-3; Webster 5-0-40-1 (nb2)
RED FORCE 2nd Innings
A Jangoo not out 19
J Solozano not out 10
Extras (lb1, nb1) 2
TOTAL (without loss, 6 overs) 31
Bowling: Greaves 2-0-14-0; Clarke 1-0-5-0; Stoute 2-0-7-0 (nb1); Nurse 1-0-4-0
Position: Red Force lead by 21 with all second innings wickets standing
Umpires: L Reifer Jr, J Williams (Jamaica)
Match referee: S Proverbs
Reserve umpire: K Sisnett
