WI Domestic: Bajans Fight Back

For 4-1/2 hours yesterday, Daren Ganga unleashed the type of strokes Caribbean spectators have rarely seen from him.

But, one of his few mistakes, just before 4 p.m., led to a rapid transformation in the proceedings on the opening day of the final round Busta Cup match between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

With impeccable touch, Ganga, just back from Australia where he was virtually a strokeless wonder, fashioned his second regional firstclass century against Barbados that gave Trinidad and Tobago the healthy platform of 181 for two.

By the close, Barbados, guaranteed their 17th regional title once they win here, staged a sterling fightback that bore similarities to the one they achieved exactly a week earlier against the Leeward Islands in Nevis.

In the space of an hour-and-a-half, six wickets fell for 50 runs and the final score of 241 for eight was one Barbados would have been satisfied with in light of the impact Ganga created.

The 22-year-old opening batsman was typically solid in defence, but was it a joy to see another side of him, courtesy of some top-class driving through the off-side.

His 105 off 186 balls included 16 sweetly struck boundaries, but it was ended in disappointing fashion and triggered the Trinidad and Tobago collapse in which fast bowler Corey Collymore and left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds were the main wreckers.

Hinds, still basking in the glory of his memorable 15-wicket match haul against the Leewards, removed Ganga with a juggled return catch from a shot that suggested the batsman was satisfied that a hundred was enough.

This is a Trinidad and Tobago batting side that revolves mainly around Ganga, Lincoln Roberts and captain Richard Smith, and although the other two made useful contributions, Barbados ran through the middle and lower order with ease.

Collymore ended the day with four victims - two of them having their stumps knocked out - and also claimed the important scalp of Roberts for 45 at an important stage when Smith was also in.

The start of play was delayed by half-hour because of rain just before 10 a.m. and there was appreciable moisture in the surface after Sherwin Campbell won the toss.

Barbados' bowlers, however, were unable to make inroads because their line was not perfect.

The only scalp during the pre-lunch session was the potentially dashing opener Andy Jackson, his intended cut off Ian Bradshaw neatly accepted by Campbell at second slip.

By lunch, taken at 57 for one, Ganga had already advertised his impressive strokeplay with spanking cover-drives and pulls off Collymore and Ian Bradshaw.

He went to the break on 38 but on resumption he was troubled in an over from Hendy Bryan in which there was the possibility of a fended catch to a vacant gully. During that testing period, he also offered a difficult diving chance to Hinds at point.

He soon reached his half-century but lost his second-wicket partner Imran Jan, who spent almost two hours in a stand of 71 that was thoroughly dominated by Ganga.

The left-handed Jan was solid only and never showed any signs of aggression in his innings of 14 which was ended in spectacular fashion by a yorker from Collymore that sent the middle stump out of the ground.

Roberts came out with a positive approach and immediately offered a sharp chance to Roland Holder at short-leg. It made no difference to him and he proceeded to play with bold aggression in a somewhat chancy knock of 45.

When he was on 14, Hinds dropped a return chance, but the ball was struck with such ferocity that the bowler was lucky that he was not decapitated. Ganga and Roberts took Trinidad and Tobago to tea on 153 for two with Ganga ten short of his third first-class century. It was reached with an all-run four to extra-cover and was celebrated with a hard cut off Bryan's next ball.

Barbados got him in the following over and when Collymore came back for a final spell, he immediately despatched Roberts, lbw, as he was very late in trying to push forward.

At that stage it was 202 for four and Barbados still had plenty of work to do. But the pressure was eased by two double-strikes with different balls.

The old ball accounted for Keno Mason, bowled leg-stump with a sharp turner from Hinds, and Darryl Brown, a victim of a cross-batted shot against Collymore.

The new ball was taken as soon as it was available and it gained Barbados immediate success.

Bradshaw induced the busy Dave Mohammed into a miscued pull and skipper Smith fell to a loose stroke that resulted in an edged catch to the keeper.