Kelly and Ganga put Trinidad ahead

T&T 240 for 7 (Ganga 63, Kelly 62) lead Leeward Islands171 by 69 runs
Scorecard

Half centuries from Daren Ganga, the captain, and Richard Kelly, the allrounder, helped to give Trinidad and Tobago a respectable 69-run lead with three wickets standing in reply to the Leewards' modest first innings total of 171 at the close of the third day of their Carib Beer Series match at the Ronald Webster Park on December 4.

The Trinidadians had reached 240 for seven with the not out batsmen Gibran Mohammed (28) and Rayad Emrit (28). The Leewards were earlier dismissed for 177 adding just 15 to their overnight 156 for eight. The visitors opened their batting with Lendl Simmonds and Tishan Maraj, the left-hand batsman, and the pair did not look in any difficulty in the opening exchanges to Adam Sanford and Gavin Tonge, the Leewards new ball bowlers, on a firm, bouncy pitch.

But when Simmonds got to 11, he played with an indecisive horizontal bat to a yorker length delivery from Tonge and dragged the ball onto his stumps to see Trinidad 16 for one. Ganga strode to the wicket to join Maraj and from the outset looked solid and suggested permanence. He batted very responsibly keeping the bat straight for the greater part of his knock, demonstrating great patience and technique. He added 26 with Maraj (20) before the left-hander was caught at the wicket playing tentatively outside the offstump to the medium pace of Wilden Cornwall who had replaced Tonge from the southern end.

Gregory Mahabir then joined his captain and they saw their team to 55 for two at lunch with Ganga then on 21 and Mahabir (1). Leewards captain Sylvester Joseph introduced the offspin of the tall Omari Banks who soon had Mahabir (14) deceived with a delivery that bounced and the batsman played an indeterminate push to Joseph at short midwicket for a simple catch.

Trinidad and Tobago were then 80 for three.The Ganga fraternity was then in evidence at the wicket when Sherwin came to the crease, but after making 15 he became Banks' second scalp caught by substitute Steve Liburd, as the batsman was deceived by flight. All the while Ganga was exemplary in application and concentration, and allthough he lost Samuel Badree (8) cheaply, comprehensively bowled as he drove at Sanford, he soon found a worth ally in Kelly. Ganga who brought up his fifty with his first four, a delightful cover drive off Sanford, reached the landmark off 136 balls in 142 minutes. The Trinidadians went to tea with Ganga 55 and Kelly (5) and the total 131 for five.

When Ganga (63) eventually departed, cross-batting a full-toss from Banks to short midwicket where Joseph took a fine diving catch, Kelly assumed the senior role in partnership with Gibran Mohammed, the wicketkeeper. The duo, both left-handers, added 75 crucial runs for the seventh wicket, seeing off the second new ball in the process before Kelly (62) played on to Cornwall. He struck seven attractive boundaries in his 149-minute stay at the crease during which he faced 102 balls. At the close, Mohammed was on a well-played 28 not out and Emrit on 10. Banks has taken three for 83, Cornwall two for 42, Tonge one for 24, and Sanford one for 44.

Earlier, the Leewards resuming from their overnight 156 for eight with Banks 26 and Aldermon Lesmond (2), added a further 15 runs for the remaining two wickets. Dave Mohammed, the left arm spinner, disposed of Lesmond in completing his over, which was interrupted by bad light on Saturday. Lesmond (4) was caught at slip by Maraj. Sanford (8) was yorked by Mervyn Dillon to leave Banks undefeated on 31 as the Leewards were all out for 171. Mohammed finished with three for 45 and Dillon two for 28.