Bravo sparkles but South get first innings

NORTH captain Dwayne Bravo slammed a brisk half-century but spinner Dave Mohammed took four wickets for 23 runs to give South first innings points yesterday, second day of the Pizza Hut/Gerry Gomez Cricket Classic at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. After West Indies allrounder Bravo and opening batsman Mario Belcon had posted a third wicket partnership of 67 to lay the foundation of a strong reply to South’s first innings total of 147, “Tadpole” Mohammed and Amit Jaggernauth (three for 32) ripped through the North batting to give their team an eight-run advantage. Batting a second time, in the shadows of the Errol Dos Santos Stand, Umpires Rawle Richards and Perry Galindo offered South openers Sherwin Ganga and Tishan Maraj the option of going in for poor light which they accepted with two overs of the five remaining in the day’s play.

But it was the enterprising play of Bravo, who hit an almost run-a-ball 51 to set the stage for what evolved to be a thrilling run chase for first innings points after only one session of play was possible on Thursday because of rain. Bravo came to the wicket when South had reduced North to 14 for two wickets after fast bowler Brent Harriot sent back Lendl Simmons and Earnil Ryan in the space of seven runs. Simmons was brilliantly caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Denish Ramdin when he failed to negotiate a rising delivery that just brushed his glove while Ryan was bowled all ends up attempting an extravagant drive. But Bravo, initially tentative to some testing bowling grew in assurance crashing four fours in a 55-ball half-century that took just 64 minutes with young Belcon at the other end. He hit two consecutive fours in taking 12 runs off one over from Sherwin Ganga and brought up his 50 with a magnificent sweep to the square leg boundary.

But after he was removed by spinner Amit Jaggernauth offering a lazy uppish drive to Theodore Modeste at mid-off, two more wickets fell in the space of three runs to reduce the home side to 81 for four wickets. Mohammed, brought on from the Gerry Gomez Media Centre End struck the double blow to give his team the ascendancy when he induced a false shot from Belcon, who played a patient innings of 23 before giving Jaggernauth a low catch at first slip. Two runs later Petrock Nicholas was sent back to the players’ pavilion without scoring when he was ignominously bowled behind his back. Aniel Kanhai and fast bowler Ricardo Paty staged a minor recovery taking the score to the century mark before brilliant captaincy by South captain Daren Ganga brought about his downfall Ganga brought on his brother Sherwin who enticed Aneil Kanhai to play his favourite cut shot but this time straight to Modeste specifically placed at the gully position.

Kanhai made 12 and added 17 valuable runs with Paty who was now joined by hard-hitting all-rounder Richard Kelly and the pair added a further 17 more with the fast bowler taking the initiative. But Kelly departed when he fell leg before wicket to Mohammed, returning from the Pavilion End as the batsman came forward then back to a looping delivery that he could not master. After making an impressive 30 (one four and a six)  and taking his team to within 12 runs of the North total, Paty lost his wicket caught by wicketkeeper Ramdin when he got a faint edge to Jaggernauth now bowling from the Northern End. Four runs later Shakeel Ali was snapped up at silly point by Gregory Mahabir off Jaggernauth and Mohammed bowled Timul Ali as he left alone to bring the innings to a close. Earlier South resumed their innings at 53 for three and lost overnight batsman Shazam Babwah within the first half-hour of play attempting a suicidal run against the sharp fielding of Petrock Nicholas at gully.

But Samuel Badree and Tishan Maraj played sensibly, posting a 30-run partnership before Badree was bowled by Lynch for 19, leaving alone a delivery that whipped back to uproot his stumps. And it was 118 for six when Ramdin went for 15 getting a thick edge to Shakeel Ali at third slip off Paty. Kelly then took his second wicket of the innings when he trapped Maraj leg before wicket for 20. Lynch removed Jaggernauth for a duck, caught at third slip by Simmons and Kelly took his third scalp, when Dave Mohammed edged to Earnil Ryan in the gully. The innings ended when Modeste was trapped plumb in front by Lynch who finished with four wickets for 49 runs. Following the loss of two sessions on the opening day on Thursday, there was only a 17-minute interruption after an hour’s play yesterday which gave way to brilliant sunshine. Today’s play starts at 10 am.