Lara, Emrit push TT ahead

Lara played a controlled knock of 153 while Emrit hit an unbeaten 55 as the home team, responding to Guyana’s first innings tally of 346, were dismissed for 398, for a lead of 52.

Guyanese pacer Esaun Crandon was rewarded for his persistence and determination with a haul of seven wickets for 125 but his effort was undermined with 18 no-balls.

And ex-West Indies leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, who took two wickets overstepped 10 times.

Altogether, the visitors paid for their indiscretions with 51 extras, as their advantage slipped from their grasp during the latter stages of play.

Yesterday’s play was punctuated by four rain stoppages, resulting in the loss of almost two hours of action, but Lara and Emrit ensured that their team held the upper hand entering today’s final phase.

Resuming on 126 runs for two wickets, the overnight pair of Lara and captain Daren Ganga extended their partnership to 159, which lasted over three hours, before Ganga offered no shot to a Crandon off-cutter, minutes after the first break of play, and was bowled for 62.

West Indies teammate Dwayne Bravo also seemed unsettled by the weather as, first ball after the extended lunch period, Crandon knocked back his leg stump as the all-rounder (9) attempted a familiar on-drive.

Like Bravo and his elder brother, Sherwin Ganga’s stay (5) was also hindered by rain when, shortly after the third shower, his extravagant cover-drive off Crandon was caught low down by Travis Dowlin.

Lara brought up his 10th regional First-Class hundred with a shot to deep cover off Crandon, but Denesh Ramdin’s 32-ball cameo of 25 ended when he played back to a low Nagamootoo delivery and was trapped leg-before.

In his typical boisterous style Richard Kelly, was dropped first ball by Ramnaresh Sarwan at slip off Nagamootoo, but struck some lusty blows before tamely guiding the leg-spinner to Narsingh Deonarine at slip for 10.

Crandon and Nagamootoo bowled in tandem for most of the day, but Lara held firm and, with Emrit joining him at 291 for seven, reached his 150 after 254 balls, in 367 minutes.

Shortly thereafter, the triple world batting record-holder fell to Crandon, as he was snapped inches off the ground by captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul at first slip.

Emrit and Dave Mohammed pushed TT ahead of Guyana’s score, but Mohammed became Crandon’s seventh victim, leg-before pushing forward for eight.

But Emrit got an unlikely partner in number 11 Sanjiv Gooljar and they held firm for 74 minutes, in a 50-run stand, before Gooljar played on to Reon King who, two balls earlier, took the second new ball.

Emrit’s enterprising knock lasted over two hours, as he faced 63 balls and struck six fours.

Play resumes today at 9.30 am.