Mohammed (7/49) put Bajans in a spin

CRAB HILL: Left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed mesmerised the Barbados batsmen as he grabbed career-best figures of seven for 49 to give Trinidad and Tobago a good chance of victory in their third round Carib Beer Cup match here yesterday. The 25-year-old Mohammed, who has played two Tests, exhibited wonderful guile and turn on a firm pitch at the Mount Gay North Stars ground in 15 unbroken overs from the southern end. Scores: TRINIDAD and TOBAGO 280 and 156 for seven wickets. BARBADOS 206. Starting the third day on 120 for one, Barbados were bowled out for 206 to be led on first innings by 74.  They lost their last seven wickets for 36 runs.

Dale Richards, who resumed on 54, top-scored with 66 in 173 minutes. He faced 143 balls and struck seven boundaries.  Four batsmen — Shawn Graham, Patrick Browne and tail-enders Jason Bennett and Corey Collymore — all failed to score as the innings folded 14 minutes before lunch.

Trinidad and Tobago were 156 for seven in their second innings — an overall lead of 230 — when fading light ended play at 5.36 pm with 14 overs remaining. Captain Daren Ganga has so far top-scored with 52 in a shade over two-and-a-half hours with five boundaries. The not out batsmen were Dinesh Ramdin on 26 and Mohammed, four. Brought on in the day’s second over, Mohammed started his demolition in his second over when he removed Kurt Wilkinson after he had added four to his overnight score of 21. Searching for a drive, Wilkinson offered an easy return catch following a partnership of 57 with Richards.

From then on it was the Mohammed show as he took the next six wickets before pacer Kyron Lynch polished off the innings. When Trinidad and Tobago batted again, Collymore removed openers Sherwin Ganga (four) and Tishan Maraj (11) and off-spinner Hurley accounted for Lendl Simmons 11, before Daren Ganga and Babwah added 39. Both Ganga and Babwah were then dismissed in successive overs with the former, leg before wicket to pacer Bennett, while Babwah (18) was bowled off stump by pacer Ryan Nurse as he pushed forward tentatively. Ramdin and Richard Kelly then frustrated Barbados with a stand of 32 in 14.4 overs that ended when Kelly (10) edged Hurley to wicketkeeper Browne.