Kelly heroics give TT edge

Entering today’s final day of the Challenge Final at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago, having posted 266 in their second innings, reduced Barbados, in pursuit of 337, to 110 for four at the close.

Captain Ryan Hinds was undefeated on 14 and first-innings top-scorer Kirk Edwards was on one when stumps were drawn.

Edwards is fortunate to be still in the middle when play resumes this morning, in front of an audience which will be allowed free to the venue due to the generosity of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).

Struggling to get off the mark against Jaggernauth in the midst of a rampaging spell, Edwards was drawn out of his crease by the off-spinner only for the out-of-form West Indies wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin to glaringly miss the stumping chance.

Barbados, once again, will only have themselves to blame for two problems which have surfaced time and time again during the match — poor field-placing and the lack of returns from their top order.

Dale Richards used his power to stroke an array of thunderous boundaries, seven in total, especially through the off-side, and dominated an opening stand of 86 in 84 minutes with fellow right-hander Wayne Blackman before he was leg-before to Kelly for 58 attempting a wild swing to leg. Blackman, the 30-year-old who is making a comeback to the Barbados line-up, was never as assured as Richards, and his lack of foot movement showed as he saw his stumps shattered by a Kelly yorker.

Ex-West Indies left-hander Floyd Reifer never looked comfortable and, first ball after the 5 pm drinks break, he calmly pushed a Jaggernauth delivery straight to Lendl Simmons at silly-point for six.

And Dwayne Smith clearly showed that his talents are not suited to the longer version of the game as he lashed out needlessly at a well-flighted ball from Jaggernauth and gave Brian Lara catching practice at mid-off, a shot unbecoming of a Test batsman.

Unlike Smith, Kelly showed he can curb his boisterous batting style and produce a valuable innings as he negotiated the TT lower order, overnight at 137 for five to add a further 133 before being dismissed at the stroke of tea.

The Windies “A” team left-hander started with a flurry of boundaries but noticeably changed his methods when fellow all-rounders Rayad Emrit and Dwayne Bravo fell in quick succession. Emrit reached 28 before snicking at a ball from left-arm pacer Pedro Collins, angled across him, and edged to Patrick Browne behind the stumps while Bravo, despite his groin injury, continued his terrible lack of form as he flat-footedly drove Smith to Hinds low at gully for a duck. Browne failed to hold on to a low chance by Dave Mohammed, when he was yet to score, off Collins but the keeper earned a measure of redemption when he got an edge off the slim left-hander’s bat to end a valuable 37-run eight-wicket stand.

Mervyn Dillon gave Browne his fourth catch in the innings but Kelly, who survived two chances after lunch, was finally dismissed when he drove Collins to Smith low at backward point. On 71, off-spinner Ryan Austin, in a positive spell, failed to hold on to a low return catch while, on 89, Collins was visibly upset when his appeal for a catch behind the wicket was turned down by umpire Norman Malcolm.