Debutant Barath 73, birthday boy Ganga 76

And with their knocks, they took Trinidad and Tobago to a massive 170 without loss in a record opening partnership, in a match that should have started two days ago.

The home team was given first strike after Guyana skipper Narsingh Deonarine won the toss.

And the bright sunlight which had been lacking since Friday last, had only set the stage for respective displays by Barath and Ganga with both men, although working hard for a TT win, each having a different point to prove on the day.

Birthday boy Ganga proved to the West Indies selectors his omission from the 30-man World Cup squad was certainly a mistake. He punched a brilliant 76 which included six fours off 165 balls in 218 minutes at the crease.

The 16-year-old Barath, on his first outing in first class cricket belted an assured 73 off 185 balls with four fours. Like Ganga his knock was an indication to local selectors that he should have been included in the team much earlier.

After an inspection that gave the OK for the match to be played, and a 1.30 pm start, just 56 overs were bowled for the day.

Barath and Ganga feasted on some very ordinary bowling, coupled with poor Guyanese fielding.

Fastbowler Reon King was the chief culprit, giving Ganga a birthday present when he grassed an easy catch soon after the tea interval. And the Guyanese fastbowler continued his plethora of no-balls, delivering ten yesterday.

Ganga, still bristling from his omission from the West Indies World Cup squad got off to a grand start, belting a wayward King and Esaun Crandon for three fours to the cover boundary.

And later on he was even more brutal on Mahendra Nagamootoo and Assad Fudadin in his knock.

Barath meanwhile shook off some early jitters before surprisingly going on the attack against some of the region’s top bowlers.

Among them another debutant left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, Nagamootoo and King. The talented young batsman showed skill, flair and patience in a knock that would assure him being a fixture on the Trinidad and Tobago team for a long time to come.

He scored boundaries with strokes all around the wicket to the delight of the small but appreciative crowd.

He will return to the crease this morning hoping to join Kieron Pollard with a century on his debut against Barbados a week ago.

Trinidad and Tobago will be looking to push on for an early declaration in the hope of bundling out the Guyanese on today’s final day in order to gain first-innings points.