T&T take control with healthy lead

Trinidad & Tobago 255 and 171 for 3 (Simmons 65, Ganga 54*) lead Windward Islands 131 (Jaggernauth 4-11) by 295 runs
Scorecard

Rawl Lewis is deftly stumped by Denesh Ramdin to end his brief cameo of 16 © T&T Express

Trinidad and Tobago took control on the second day of the Carib Beer Cup semi-final against Windward Islands at Guaracara Park, building on their 124-run first-innings lead to finish the day at 171 for 3, 295 ahead.

On a typically inviting surface for the batsmen, the Windwards players managed to occupy the crease for just under 52 overs. Undone by the early helpful bowling conditions in their first innings, the T&T batsmen made amends in the last two sessions yesterday to shore up the already strong position which their bowlers set up. Lendl Simmons with a promising, pleasant 65 and Daren Ganga, the captain, undefeated on 54, took advantage.

Having resumed with the cream of their batting already back in the pavilion, the Windwards needed a revival to match the one effected by the T&T trio of Jason Mohammed, Richard Kelly and Amit Jaggernauth on the opening day. They could find no such players.

Resuming on 37 for 4, Windwards lost their fifth and sixth wickets with only 26 runs added. Devon Smith was the first to go, falling to a rash stroke, while Alvin La Feuille joined Dennis George at the crease. His brief, hardly profitable attempt to take the attack to the bowlers ended when he miscued a lofted drive off Mohammed to Jaggernauth at mid-off for 15.

Darren Sammy and Liam Sebastien attemped to consolidate for the next hour and a quarter, despite Sebastien's uncertainty against Dillon and Mohammed, who later switched around to the southern end to replace his pace colleague.

The Windwards pair did the job expected of them, until, in the last over before lunch, Sebastian (21) fell to a fine, athletic slip catch by Bravo, going to his left off offspinner Jaggernauth's bowling.

After lunch, they lost their three remaining wickets for only 22 runs. Jaggernauth picked up two of the three, including top-scorer Sammy (27) from whom he accepted a driven return catch. He ended with the healthy figures of 4 for 11 in just 6.5 overs.

The ease with which T&T were able to defend 255 may have been pleasing to the largely quiet Guaracara crowd. But the showing was not a great advertisement, in a semi-final, for Caribbean cricket.