Off-spinner Jaggernauth takes five for 57

PowerGen Sports off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth showed good form and emerged as the leading wicket-taker on the second day of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board trial match at Gilbert Park, California yesterday. Jaggernauth, who top-ped this season’s Carib Beer Series bowling aggregate with 30 scalps for Trinidad and Tobago, relished the conditions on a pitch which were not used for cricket for over six months. He picked up five wickets for 57 from 18 overs as they dismissed Rodney Sooklal’s Team “A” for 178 in their first innings. Having resumed at 56 for one overnight, Team “A” progressed to 128 for three at the luncheon interval.

But they folded up as Jaggernauth demolished the side with his clever variations. West Indies youth player Lendl Simmons, who enjoyed himself with three sixes and two fours on Thursday and was unbeaten on 39,  added only six runs more to his overnight total before he was smartly taken at second slip off the bustling Richard Kelly who finished with one for 19 from 11 overs. Simmons had featured in a 55-run first wicket partnership with fellow West Indies Under 19 team-mate Tishan Maraj who made 15 on Thursday. National youth player Samuel Felix was next to go caught by Brent Harriot off left arm spinner Rishi Bachan who took one for 40 from 17 overs.

However, there was no further success as left-handed Imran Jan and Kenton Thompson featured in an enterprising fourth wicket partnership which restored respectability. Jan, a late addition to the squad of 31 played positively and made an attractive 42. He was dropped by Richard Harris off Bachan when on five but made use of the opportunity to slam three sixes (all of Jaggernauth) and two fours in his innings. Jbut the spinner had the last laugh dismissing both Jan (caught by Bachan) and Thompson (LBW). He also picked Reyad Emrit (caught Bachan) for 10, Kyron Lunch (caught Harris) for three and Ravi Rampaul (caught Earnil Ryan) for 11. Thompson hit one six and two fours in his 25.

National youth player Harris had his Queen’s Park CC clubmate Jonathan Augustus (caught Babwah) for eight and West Indies player Dave Mohammed (bowled) for naught. He finished with two for 14 from seven overs. In reply, Team “B” reached 72 for three after 43 overs. Opener Imran Khan and Gibran Mohammed were the not out batsmen on 24 and eight runs respectively. Ryan made 17, caught by Rampaul off Lynch with the score at 21 and then skipper Sooklal removed Gregory Mah-abir, caught by Augustus for 14 with the score at 45. Shazam Babwah, captain of Team “B,” was outfoxed by Mohammed, and caught by wicketkeeper Felix for ten.