The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force is in a strong position against the Barbados Pride in the round two match of the Digicel Four-Day tournament at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.
Imran Khan is congratulated after picking up three wickets for the hosts
After being sent in to bat, Barbados Pride closed the first day’s play on 214 for seven. Red Force leg-spinner Imran Khan was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of three for 49. Marlon Richards (1/24), Yannick Ottley (1/13) and Jon Russ Jaggesar (1/55) claimed one wicket each.
Opening batsman Anthony Alleyne defied the Red Force bowlers with a stubborn knock of 88 off 202 balls which featured 12 boundaries. He shared in a 73-run third wicket partnership with Roston Chase that built on his opening stand of 45 runs with Omar Phillips (22). Allenyne was the mainstay of the Barbados innings, after losing Chase for 21, bowled by Khan.
The opening batsman mixed defence with aggression and looked set for a century with an impressively constructed innings. However, off-spinner Jaggesar claimed the important scalp, having Alleyne caught behind by Steven Katwaroo with a quicker delivery. With Barbados in a shaky position at 159 for five, Kenroy Williams ensured the visitors’ innings did not collapse.
He weathered a testing spell from Richards in his knock of 46. The right-arm fast bowler troubled Williams with a mesmerising spell of swing bowling that should have yielded a wicket. Williams, however, would fall short of a deserved half-century, edging left-arm spinner Ottley to Katwaroo to put the hosts back in contention. Jeremy Solozano strengthened the Red Force advantage, running out Justin Greaves for 17 with a direct throw from covers as the hosts finished the day’s play on a positive note.
