Defiant Ganga (93) misses century

With the TT batsmen struggling on a slow wicket and heavy outfield, Ganga remained defiant at the crease for over four hours as Trinidad and Tobago rallied from a precarious position of 97 runs for four wickets to close the day on 201 for six, with West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin unbeaten on 20 and Richard Kelly on 16.

Off-spinner Gareth Breese tore through the heart of the TT batsmen, claiming four wickets for 44 runs while Jerome Taylor and Marlon Samuels got one apiece.

Sent in to bat by Jamaican captain Wavell Hinds, openers Lendl Simmons and Tishan Maraj crawled to 13 before Simmons (three), rooted to the crease, was bowled by a slower ball from Taylor.

Maraj and Ganga were never assured against the Jamaican pace trio of Taylor, Jermaine Lawson (whose controversial bowling action was mocked by many on the ground) and Andrew Richardson.

Ganga was lucky to get the benefit of the doubt from umpire Billy Doctrove when, on seven, the Jamaicans were certain he edged a Richardson delivery to keeper Carlton Baugh jr.

Lunch was taken at 47 for one off 24 overs with Ganga on 23, overtaking Maraj who was on 14, while, soon after the resumption, the TT 50 was posted in the 26th over.

Ganga tried to push the scoring along, but the introduction of Breese changed the complexion of the innings with four wickets from a marathon 17-over spell from the southern end.

On 26, Maraj was dropped by Baugh down the leg-side via an inside-edge off Richardson. But he only added five more when he played forward to a Breese off-break and was snapped at forward short-leg by Tamar Lambert, a painstaking knock lasting three hours with only three fours from 117 deliveries.

The score was 85 for two when WI all-rounder Dwayne Bravo joined Ganga, but Bravo’s stay was brief as he was trapped in front by Breese for two. Gregory Mahabir lasted only nine deliveries for his two runs before his unconvincing knock was ended, as Breese breached his forward defensive prod.

With three wickets falling for 12 runs, Ganga found an able ally in his Barrackpore neighbour, debutant Jason Mohammed who looked more accomplished at the crease than his predecessors.

By that time, Ganga reached his half-century with a flick to fine-leg off left-arm spinner Nikita Miller while Mohammed brought the crowd to life with a six and a four, both over mid-on, from a Breese over.

Both batsmen were trying to counterattack Breese and Miller (who, from the northern end, got through a 10-over spell for only 21 runs in the post-lunch session) when, out of the blue, Mohammed missed a flighted Breese delivery and was bowled for 18.

The hour-long partnership was worth 38 runs but, with the scoreboard reading 135/5, Ganga got support from Ramdin but, after striking a pair of boundaries off Miller, played across a straight delivery from Samuels in the following over and was ruled leg-before by Doctrove.

Ganga’s effort included six fours from 230 deliveries in 267 minutes. Kelly struck some lusty blows in his 28-ball knock while Ramdin faced 78 deliveries before the close of play.

From the starting XI, Trinidad and Tobago omitted openers Imran Khan, Sherwin Ganga and off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth while Jamaica dropped Xavier Marshall and Shawn Findlay.

About his performance yesterday, Breese stated: "it’s always good to wickets at first-class level.

The 29-year-old continued: "The position that Trinidad (were) in, I’m happy to come out with four wickets and I think I, probably, could have bowled a bit better, in terms of economically.

"But I got some wickets so I’m thankful for that," he ended. IN ST GEORGE’S, Grenada Barbados, sent in to bat, were 79 for two when bad light stopped play 10.4 overs early on a weather-affected opening day in their Carib Beer Series match against Windward Islands at the Tanteen Oval.

SCORES: Barbados 79 for two (Wayne Blackman 33 not out)