Simmons, Bachan stake claims

West Indies youth players Lendl Simmons (76) and Rishi Bachan (five wickets for 30) stole the spotlight on the opening day of the final trial match to select the Trinidad and Tobago team for the upcoming regional tournament. TT play Guyana in the opening round of the 2005 Carib Beer Series on January 7 at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva. Yesterday there was a reprieve in the weather and the cricketers enjoyed a full day’s play at Gilbert Park,  California.

Experienced bowler Mervyn Dillon’s Team “A” were bowled for 205, after being sent in by WI youth captain Dinesh Ramdin who won the toss. Ramdin is leading Team “B”, which reached 41 for the loss of two wickets at the close of play. West Indies youth opener Tishan Maraj and exciting Sherwin Ganga opened the innings against the pace and hostility of Kyron Lynch and Ravi Rampaul who was having his first outdoor extended bowling spell. Rampaul looked smooth and aggressive but Maraj and Ganga were very watchful and tight in defence and selective in their strokeplay. They denied him a wicket as he finished with figures of 6-0-31-0. Both openers were fully tested and but they weathered the early fire and batted together for 84 minutes and posted 34 runs for the first wicket partnership. Maraj was first to go for a patient 13 off 59 deliveries.

He was caught by wicketkeeper Ramdin off the bowling of Bachan, whose accuracy and clever variations brought forth rich dividends and a chance to force himself into contention for a place on the national team. Bachan became the first player to get a five-wicket haul in the trials. He was rewarded with five wickets for 30 runs from 15 impressive overs. The 18-year-old left-armer picked up the wickets of Simmons, bowled for 76; Samuel Badree, caught by Babwah for three; Dave Mohammed, stumped by Ramdin for 13 and Rodney Sooklal, bowled for three runs. Ganga was the more dominant partner and he slammed two huge sixes and four spanking fours off 107 balls. He batted for 163 minutes for the second highest score of the innings.

But it was Simmons who finally found his touch and exhibited some superb shots in racing to the topscore of 76, which included three sixes and three fours off 123 balls. He spent one minute less than Ganga but his efforts will put him in the middle-order mix. He found a useful partner in Gibran Mohammed who batted 90 minutes for 27 runs off 54 balls. Together they added an invaluable 86 which provided some measure of respectability to a team of senior players vying for national selection. The match concludes tomorrow. Play start today at 10 am.

Scores: DILLON’s TEAM A: 205 (Sherwin Ganga 46, Tishan Maraj 13, Lendl Simmons 76, Gibran Mohammed 27, Dave Mohammed 13; Rishi Bachan 5 for 30, Amit Jaggernauth 2 for 31, Shazam Babwah 2 for 21, Kyron Lynch 1 for 32). RAMDIN’s TEAM B: 41 for 2 off 15 overs (Earnil Ryan 17, Shazam Babwah 10 not out, Kenton Thompson 2 not out).