T&T let the advantage slip within the last hour of play against the Windwards in the Headley/Weekes Regional Four-day semifinal match-up at the Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.The weather held for the entire day after all the rain on Friday and a full 90 overs was possible.The Red Force enjoyed the good weather and battled well before they let it slip towards the end of play, losing three wickets in their reply.The locals reached 36 for three at the close, after bowling out the Windwards for 246. Imran Khan continued his fine form with 4/59 as half brothers Romell Currency 68 and Sunil Ambris 44 propped up the visitors.
Left with 14 overs to play out the day, T&T started their reply in frenetic fashion with Lendl Simmons slamming taking the attack to the new-ball bowlers.However, that carefree attitude would cost him and T&T as he fell for 19 with the score at 33 and without addition to the total, Darren Bravo guided one from Delorn Johnson to third slip for a "duck."Evin Lewis tailored his game to suit the situation and at the end he was there on ten not out. However, with three overs to go, T&T lost another wicket, that of nightwatchman Marlon Richards and when play resumes today, they will be looking to rebuild and charge towards the Windwards total.
The day started beautifully for the home team as Denesh Ramdin called correctly at the toss and after five minutes umpire Gregory Brathwaite was picking up Devon Smith's stumps from the ground.Pacer Shannon Gabriel breached his defence first ball and Windwards lost their main batsman.Gabriel, who has been bowling very well this season, then claimed the wicket of West Indies batsman Johnson Charles soon after to reduce the Islanders to 30 for two. Charles was brilliantly caught by Evin Lewis at slip fishing outside the off-stump.Opener Tyrone Theophile took the attack to the T&T boys and carved out 30 runs before he joined his mates in the dressing room, courtesy a horrible pull shot. Marlon Richards shortened a quickish delivery on him and his attempted pull went skywards, only for Gabriel to accept the catch at mid-on.
Keddy Lesporis joined Ambris at the crease and they stabilised the innings by adding 64 runs for the fourth wicket.Lesporis then left, bowled around his legs by Khan on the stroke of lunch, giving the Comets player his 25th of the tournament. The right hander's 39 came off 44 balls and included with five fours and one six. Lunch was taken immediately with the score at 112 for four as T&T got a much needed boost before the break.On the resumption, Ramdin's boys continued to progress and the skipper himself brought off a wonderful run out, when he collected a throw from Simmons and threw down the stumps from backward square leg. The hapless batsman was Ambris, who made 42 off 73 balls in 91 minutes batting with two fours and two sixes. Skipper Liam Sebastien and Currency then joined forces and batted very well together. The left hand/right-hand combination threw off the T&T the bowlers and in very humid conditions, T&T was left to chase leather in the afternoon period.
Currency was patient and put a price to his wicket, one that T&T was not able to come up with for the second session. When the players turned and headed for the pavilion, the score read 202 for five with Sebastien 25 not out and Currency 54 not out. He brought up his half century off 84 balls in 112 minutes with eight fours.T&T made a great start to the final session when Darren Bravo took a wonderful catch to send back Sebastien for 40. The stocky Dominican batted for 121 minutes, negotiating 104 balls, four of which he sent over the ropes.Khan was again in the action soon after, sending back topscorer currency for 68. He spent 153 minutes between the sticks in which time he faced 120 balls, hitting nine fours. This innings formed the backbone of the Windwards innings, as Currency hardly played across the line. Most of his runs came on the off-side and none of his nine hits to the fence were on the onside. Three went straight down the ground, one to third man, three to backward points and two through covers.After this it was all downhill for the visitors and they fell for 246 - missing out a valuable batting point. Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 4/59, Gabriel took 2/35 and newboy Ricky Jaipaul 2/34.
SCOREBOARD
TT vs Windwards
Windwards Inns
D Smith b Gabriel 0
T Theophille c Gabriel b Richards 30
J Charles c Evin b Gabriel 8
S Ambris run out 42
K Lesporis b Khan 39
R Currency lbw Khan 68
L Sebastien c Bravo b Khan 40
M Matthew c Lewis b Khan 3
K Peters c Khan b Jaipaul 5
D Johnson c Bravo b Jaipaul 8
N Pascal not out 0
Extras: lb3 3
Total: all out 248
Fall of wkts: 0, 30, 49, 112, 136, 226, 235, 240, 242, 248.
Bowling: S Gabriel 11-0-2-35-2, R Emrit 11-1-42-0, M Richards 7-0-30-1, A Hosein 7-0-29-0, I Khan 17-2-59-4, R Jaipaul 17.4-6-34-2, J Mohammed 3-0-16-0.
T&T 1st inns
L Simmons c Mathew b Johnson 19
E Lewis not out 10
D Bravo c Lesporis b Johnson 0
M Richards c Theophile b Sebastien 2
J Mohammed not out 0
Extras: lb5 5
Total: for 3 wkts 36
Fall of wkts: 33, 33, 36.
Bowling: N Pascal 2-0-18-0, D Johnson 5-2-10-2, K Peters 3-1-2-0, L Sebastien 2-1-1-1, M Mathew 2-2-0-0.