Bajans snatch first day honours

Trinidad and Tobago were indebted to opening batsman Lendl Simmons, who anchored the innings with a valiant 84, while all-rounder Rayad Emrit boosted the lower order with an enterprising, undefeated 37.

Fast bowler Pedro Collins, in his second match since a seven-month lay-off due to a stress fracture in his back, led the Bajan attack with three wickets for 40 while fellow left-armers, spinner Ryan Hinds (two for 48) and pacer Ian Bradshaw (two for 54) also pegged the TT batsmen with their consistent line and length.

Like Collins, Corey Collymore is making a comeback following an operation late last year to remove a bone spur in his right knee tendon. This is his first match since, but he showed that he has lost none of his accuracy, even though his figures of one for 22 would not reflect as such.

In fact, it was the 28-year-old Collymore who made the first dent in the Trinidad and Tobago batting. Simmons and his captain Daren Ganga, who chose to bat after winning the toss for the second successive match, went along merrily in a 41-run opening stand before the West Indies pacer, in his fourth over, easily won a leg-before verdict from umpire Norman Malcolm as Ganga offered no stroke to a straight delivery.

Dwayne Bravo, labouring to regain his form which has deserted him since last year’s Australia tour, survived two chances off Hinds, and a near-blow from his partner Simmons, before driving away from his body to a wide Collins delivery and edging to veteran Floyd Reifer at first slip for 25.

Bravo’s two-hour-long vigil should not have proceeded that long, as he was dropped twice by Dwayne Smith at forward short-leg, the first (on 11) low to his right ankle and the second (on 15) through his hands while stooping.

In between those moments, Bravo, as occurred twice last week against the Windward Islands, was backing up too far to Simmons, and this time he needed medical attention on his right shoulder as he tried to regain his ground, and also avoid injury, as the WI “A” team opener blasted a straight drive to Collymore.

Simmons was also fortunate to survive an LBW shout on 43 when the visitors were convinced that Collymore struck him in line with the middle-stump.

Nevertheless, the Barbadians, despite the use of Arima-born off-spinner Ryan Austin for nine overs as a last resort, were soon in their glee when Bravo, then triple world-record holder Brian Lara, were quickly removed by Collins.

The massive crowd at the Southern venue clearly anticipated a masterful Lara innings but, as he is so prone to do, the 36-year-old moved across to the off-stump, exposed both middle and leg stumps, and was trapped plumb by a rejuvenated Collins for two.

Simmons and national youth team captain Jason Mohammed held firm during a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 52 but the Barbadians tilted the balance with four wickets in the space of nine runs.

Overconfidence got the better of the 21-year-old Simmons as he premeditated a sweep shot to Hinds and scooped the ball to Smith at short-leg. His innings, 10 minutes short of five hours, featured 12 fours, mostly drives through the covers and behind the bowler.

The following over, Mohammed was given the benefit of the doubt by umpire Malcolm for a caught-behind appeal, but two balls later, he edged a persevering Bradshaw low where Reifer held a sharp chance in the slips.

Denesh Ramdin, striving in vain to rediscover his form in front of the stumps, was dismissed for a second-ball duck, in identical fashion to the second innings of the second Test match in New Zealand last month, as he played forward to a ball from Hinds, which was pitched on leg-stump and hit off.

Richard Kelly did not last long, as he attempted a massive cover drive to Bradshaw and dragged the ball back onto his stumps.

However, Emrit was joined by Mervyn Dillon and the pair batting sensibly, with a slice of luck as Emrit fended a short ball from Smith inches short of Bradshaw, at gully, when on 22.

But the second new ball, seconds after it was taken by Hinds, got rid of Dillon, as he was emphatically yorked by Collins, leaving Emrit and Dave Mohammed to survive until the close.