TT cricket campaign crashes

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s  First Class cricket campaign ended in disappointment at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain yesterday, going under by six wickets against Barbados. The crushing loss effectively put paid to the home team’s chances of qualifying for Carib Beer Challenge, featuring the top two teams in the regional competition after the end of the current tenth round. All hopes were extinguished when opener Sherwin Campbell, on bended knees, executed a fluent classical cover drive off Ricardo Powell for his ninth boundary and piloted Barbados to 100 for four wickets off 30.4 overs.

Campbell remained undefeated on 54 and celebrated with his team-mates their only win of the season. It was Campbell’s second consecutive half century after he featured in an enterprising 103-run second wicket partnership with Dale Richards on the second day (Saturday). Yesterday, Campbell took on the Trinidadian bowlers in their run chase to get the required 97 runs for victory. Facing a deficit of 59 runs and having resumed at 47 for three wickets yesterday, TT were dismissed for a paltry 156 (51.3 overs) in their second innings.

A series of reckless strokes and indisciplined batting were the major causes for the dismal performance on a pitch, which was described by the players as the worst they have played on all season. But it was no excuse for their inglorious dismissals against penetrative and disciplined bowling by the West Indies bowlers Fidel Edwards and Ian Bradshaw who emerged as the Barbadian bowling hero with a haul of six wickets for 34 runs. It was also sweet revenge for the Barbados who were humbled by their hosts in the first round at the North Stars Ground in St Lucy, Barbados. TT needed to beat Barbados or at least clinch first innings points in their Oval encounter to qualify for the final. It did not materialise.

Left-handed Ryan Hinds who made a brilliant 113 in their first innings was awarded “Man-of-Match” by adjudicator Gregory Asgarali. Hinds match-winning innings was the cornerstone for Barbados’ first innings score of 303 surpassing TT’s first innings of 244. Having resumed on 47 for three, TT lost wickets regularly and were in dire straits at 76 for six before Richard Kelly (28) and Dave Mohammed (37) restored some respectability with a fighting 45-run seventh wicket partnership. They eventually gave their hands away and TT’s injured captain Ganga emerged at number nine after receiving pain-killing injections for an injured left hand. Leftarm seamer Bradshaw, who tormented all the Trinidadians took six for 34 which was his career best.