Ganga (S) misses 100, TT grab lead

Rain washed out the lunch-tea session at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine campus but the Ganga- Jaggernauth stand was crucial as Trinidad and Tobago, resuming on the third day at 210 runs for five wickets, in reply to the CCC’s 315, were eventually dismissed for 362 with Ganga hitting his highest first-class score of 90 while Jaggernauth was unbeaten on 37.

The Combined Campuses closed the day on 43 for two, four runs adrift of the hosts, with opener Simon Jackson blazing his way to 29 not out.

Ganga, younger brother of captain Daren, rallied the tail after a shaky morning session which saw the hosts lose three wickets to the off-spin of Trinidad-born Barbadian Ryan Austin – Gibran Mohammed (eight), Richard Kelly (24) and Samuel Badree (five). Mohammed was held by CCC’s captain/coach Floyd Reifer at slip, and the ex-Barbados and West Indies player was on hand, at bat-pad, to pounce on Kelly’s edge.

Austin ended with figures of six wickets for 123 runs off 50 overs, but he and another Trinidadian spinner, left-armer Kavesh Kantasingh (2/88 off 34 overs), were unable to prevent the left-handed duo of Ganga (S) and Jaggernauth from overhauling the CCC’s first innings score during the extended final session of play.

Barbadian Kurt Wilkinson snapped up the last two wickets, after play resumed at 3.15 pm – Ganga (S) nicking a catch to wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton to end his 199-ball knock, which also included eight fours; and Atiba Allert for 17.

Opener Omar Phillips was removed by pacer Allert off the first delivery of the CCC second innings, edging to Kieron Pollard in the slips, while leg- spinner Badree took care of Nikolai Parris, caught by Justin Guillen at forward short leg.

Jackson and night-watchman Austin are the overnight pair, as the visitors seek to maintain their slim chance of an outright victory. Play starts today at 9.30 am.

UWI/SPEC SCOREBOARD
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO vs CCC
CCC 1st inns 315
Trinidad & Tobago 1st inns:
(Overnight 210-5)
L Simmons st Walton b Kantasingh 78
A Barath c&b Austin 20
D Ganga c Parris b Austin 34
J Guillen c Noel b Kantasingh 15
K Pollard c Kantasingh b Austin 14
S Ganga c Walton b Wilkinson 90
G Mohammed c Reifer b Austin 8
R Kelly c Reifer b Austin 24
S Badree c Jackson b Austin 5
A Jaggernauth not out 37
A Alert c Parris b Wilkinson 17
EXTRAS (LB11, W1, NB8) 20
Total 362
Fall of wickets: 67; 122; 148; 163; 188; 211; 255; 269; 332; 362.
BOWLING: McLean 18-5-49-0; Noel 13-1-57-0 (W1, NB4); Austin 50-10-123-6; Kantasingh 34-3-10-88-2; Wilkinson 5.4-0-26-2 (NB4); Parris 2-0-8-0.
CCC 2nd inns:
O Phillip c Pollard b Allert 0
S Jackson not out 29
N Parris c Guillen b Badree 10
R Austin not out 1
EXTRAS (W1, LB2) 3
Total for two wickets 43
Fall of wickets: 0; 40.
BOWLING: Allert 5-1-7-1 (W1); Kelly 5-1-19-0; Badree 4-0-12-1, S Ganga 1-0-2-0 Jaggernauth 1-0-1-0.