GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Excellent bowling, matched by some quality batting, led by Emmanuel Lett, has put Trinidad & Tobago on the verge of a crucial first innings lead over Leeward Islands in the WICB Regional Under-19 Championship yesterday.
Lett was unbeaten on 54, as T&T, replying to Leewards’ first-innings total of 149, reached 141 for two at the close on the opening day of the final round at Bourda Oval. In the final session, the T&T batsmen made wise use of the excellent batting conditions.
Lett played some fine strokes, counting half-dozen boundaries in his knock. He has added 49 for the third wicket with the in-form Akeal Hosein, who is 27 not out.
Opener Duane Cockburn made 33 before he was caught at short extra cover off left-arm spinner Daniel Doram.
Kieron Joseph played some spanking shots before he under-edged an off-break from Cornwall into his stumps.
Earlier, left-arm spinner Derone Davis, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, was again among the wickets, taking two for 37 from 19 overs.
But this time around the lead man was off-spinner Idrees Mohammed, who took four for 42. The accurate Mohammed took the key wicket of captain Rahkeem Cornwall for a duck, and also accounted for the other main batsman Akeem Saunders, who fell for 24.
Early on, the Leewards slipped to 13 for two, but Saunders came together with Shaquille Martina and added 58 for the third wicket.
Martina top-scored with 34, but was unable to carry on after doing the hard work.
Both he and Saunders fell quickly, and the innings went into decline from 71 for two to 122 for nine shortly after lunch.
It took a last-wicket stand of 27 between Tristan Handley and Dymon Parris to briefly hold up the Trinidadians’ charge.