TT close in on Carib Beer victory

After left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed (4/56) and medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo (3/35) combined to skittle out the Jamaicans for 193, the TT team ended the penultimate day on 178 for seven wickets in their second innings, for an overall lead of 371 runs.

Entering the fray with TT in strife at 109 for five, Kelly showed his intent with a square-cut first ball, off pacer Jerome Taylor and followed up with a series of lusty blows, including a towering six over long-on and a late-cut for four, both off-spinner Gareth Breese to end the day seven runs short of his second 50 off the match.

The massively-built young batsman faced only 33 balls during his 53-minute stay, but has so far lashed six fours and a six, to the delight of the estimated 4,000 supporters.

The 21-year-old Kelly was pleased with his effort with the bat and later said, "I started off slowly because of the (state of the innings)," he acknowledged, adding that his plan was to "get the singles earlier on and start to accelerate later.

"We were looking at five (runs) an over so we were just looking for the singles early on and put away the bad balls," he added.

Opener Lendl Simmons played some delightful shots on the leg-side before inexplicably top-edging a pull shot off Lawson to Richardson at mid-on for 22.

Captain Daren Ganga and Bravo quickly followed, both attempting big drives — Ganga lost his middle stump for four, off Dave Bernard, while Bravo edged Richardson to wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh for three.

Tishan Maraj’s two-hour long stay ended on 26 when he drove off-spinner Gareth Breese straight to Bernard at long-on to leave TT reeling at 69 for four.

Jason Mohammed, the WI Under-19 vice-captain, showed glimpses of his talent before skying Taylor to Marlon Samuels at point, for a run-a-ball 21, while Mahabir’s effort was halted with a needless drive to Jamaican skipper Wavell Hinds at cover, off a wide Richardson delivery.

Denesh Ramdin was plumb leg-before to Richardson in the closing stages for six, the third wicket of the evening for the lanky pacer, but Rayad Emrit (three) withstood a bouncer barrage from Lawson to remain unbeaten with Kelly. Dave Mohammed and Bravo took wickets at regular intervals as the Jamaican innings subsided from 97/3 overnight to 193.

Nightwatchman Nikita Miller’s brief respite ended with the score on 119 when he edged Kelly to keeper Ramdin for eight while, eight runs later, Tamar Lambert was adjudged leg-before to Gooljar, playing forward to a top-spinner. Gooljar seemed at ease on debut, mixing his variations well during a marathon spell during the pre-lunch session. His figures during that period was 16-5-29-1.

Bernard fell minutes before the interval, for eight runs — caught low down by a diving Emrit at mid-off from Dave Mohammed’s second delivery of the day.

Breese was held by an airborne Mahabir at square leg for three, off Bravo with the score on 163. Nineteen runs afterwards, Bravo induced a rash pull to Simmons at mid-on to end Baugh’s aggressive knock of 30.

Dave Mohammed mopped up the tail, having Taylor stumped for 19 and Richardson caught at forward short-leg, on second attempt, by Mahabir for duck. The ex-WI left-arm spinner’s day was blemished with two dropped catches at point — Lambert on 19 off Kelly and Taylor on eight off Bravo.

Play resumes today at 10 am.