Maraj, Powell star in TT struggle

TWO contrasting half centuries from Tishan Maraj (56) and Ricardo Powell (58) highlighted Trinidad and Tobago’s struggle with an unpredictabe pitch yesterday in their Carib Beer Series regional cricket match against Barbados. The homesters were bowled out for 244 on the opening day of the crucial tenth and final round match at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain yesterday. At the close of play, Barbados were six runs without loss after only one over from Mervyn Dillon when umpires Camal Basdeo (TT) and Clancy Mack (Antigua and Barbuda) agreed that the fading light was not conducive for play. Barbados openers Sherwin Campbell (five not out) and Martin Nurse (one not out) did not hesitate to accept the offer of going off, especially with Campbell surviving two very confident appeals.

Slight showers and overcast conditions forced a delayed start after Barbados captain won the toss asked TT take first strike. The move proved fruitful as Corey Collymore and Tino Best extracted considerable bounce and movement off the track. Collymore’s menacing swing and movement left both openers Daren Ganga and Tishan Maraj thanking their lucky stars with dropped chances. But the TT captain, who promoted himself up the order departed with six runs to his name and the score only 23 when he fended at a lifting delivery from Collymore and succeeded to give Martin Nurse a straight forward catch at silly mid-on. Best might have felt hard done with the drop catches off his bowling but he did not stay long enough to share the wickets. After bowling four balls in his third over, he left the field  with a strained muscle under the lower left rib cage area, and did not return.

Dwayne Bravo’s return to the TT line-up in place of Lendl Simmons was warmly greeted by the faithful fans but they were disappointed when he was bowled by Collymore for ten and the score on 41 for two. This was soon on resumption after the luncheon interval which was taken at 37 for one off twelve overs. Maraj was undefeated on 15 and Bravo on six. Gregory Mahabir’s vigil lasted exactly one hour but was on his way to the pavilion, caught behind by wicketkeeper Courtney Browne off the fired up Fidel Edwards, who created problems for all the other players. Powell entered the fray and he feasted on the short pitched stuff which was overdone by the Bajan bowlers. And together with Maraj, whose unflappable temperament makes him the ideal foil, shared in an enterprising 74-run fourth wicket partnership.

But it was medium pacer Martin Nurse who changed the course of the match when he induced a false cut stroke from Maraj saw Campbell at third slip gobbled up an easy catch. Maraj’s innings lasted 205 minutes and he stroked eight delightful boundaries off 119 balls received. Powell progressed to 50 at the tea interval in company with Denesh Ramdin (8) as TT advanced to 163 for four wickets off 42 overs. All hopes of a score beyond 300 disappeared as both Powell and Ramdin suckered to the hook stroke and off Nurse who was persevered with by skipper Browne. Both batsmen were guilty of naughty shots as TT lost three quick wickets at 181.

Powell smashed nine fours off 71 balls during his 107-minute of encouraging batting while Ramdin’s 25 lasted 36 minutes and he counted four fours off 23 balls. Left-handed Richard Kelly and Dave Mohammed restored some hope with defiant batting coupled with attacking shots which brought Kelly one six and three fours off 47 balls before he missed Edwards’ slower delivery and was adjudged LBW for 20. Edwards wrapped up the innings but not before Mohammed treated the crowd with five fours off 56 balls as he chopped a lifting delivery unto his stumps. Dillon was bowled for nought as Edwards finished with four wickets for 41 from 17.1 overs. Nurse was the other main wicket-taker with four for 66 from 16 overs.