TRINIDAD and Tobago crushed Leeward Islands by an innings and 107 runs in their third round fixture which was completed yesterday after one hour and 26 minutes of play from the scheduled starting time of 15:00hrs of their historic day/night fixture at the famous Queen’s Park Oval.

On Sunday, T&T declared their first innings closed on 458 for 7 and then bowled out Leewards for 113 in their first innings.
With a mammoth lead of 345 runs, T&T immediately enforced the follow-on and although Leewards’ batsmen fared better in the second, they were still under immense pressure to stave off an innings defeat and found themselves reeling at 159 for the loss of six wickets, the last dismissal of the night being that of their captain Kieran Powell; who staged a brave battle until he succumbed with two balls remaining for the night’s play. Powell contributed 67.
For Leewards first innings, Jahmar Hamilton’s top-score of 52 was made up of one six and eight fours off 73 balls while T&T’s seamers Shannon Gabriel (3 for 21) and skipper Reyad Emrit (2 for 35) did the early damage. Spinners Imran Khan (2 for 12), Hosein (1 for 29) and Yannic Cariah (1 for 15) took care of the lower order as Leewards closed Saturday night with the score on 86 for 9.
Yesterday, skipper Reyad Emrit signalled his intention to utilise the quicker bowlers to polish off Leewards’ lower order and secure a massive victory margin.
He made the early breakthrough by having overnight batsman Hayden Walsh caught by Evin Lewis without a run to his name while Shannon Gabriel removed the experienced Tonito Willet, caught by wicketkeeper Steven Katwaroo for 10.
There was a short rearguard fightback by Justin Athanaze and Gavin Tonge, who together featured in an enterprising 52-run ninth-wicket partnership. Both batsmen smashed a six and some powerful boundaries before leg-spinner Imran Khan won a confident lbw shout against Athanaze who made 38.
Khan emerged as the main wicket-taker when he forced Tonge to offer Yannic Cariah a straightforward catch at long off and allowed the Trinidadians to celebrate their second consecutive outright victory for the season. Khan finished with 5 for 53 from 22.2 overs while Gabriel took two for 63 from 20 overs and Emrit one for 24 from 16 overs.
T&T did not have the bowling services of all-rounder Akeal Hosein who injured himself after scoring his maiden First Class century on Saturday. Hosein made an undefeated 102 and shared a match-winning 197-run seventh-wicket partnership with wicketkeeper Steven Katwaroo who was unfortunately adjudged lbw, nine runs short of his maiden first class century.
Trinidad and Tobago started the historic first day-night First Class match at the Oval on a positive note on Friday. The homesters raced to 263 for the loss of six wickets with solid half-centuries from Evin Lewis (78), Darren Bravo (60), Jonathan Augustus (61); Katwaroo (1 not out) and Hosein (0 not out) On Saturday both Katwaroo and Hosein battled through the first session and shared an unbroken 99-run seventh-wicket partnership that carried T&T to 360 without further loss when both teams retired to the pavilion for dinner.
Lewis, in his fifth First Class match, grabbed the spotlight with some attacking strokes and together; with the attractive Darren Bravo; they featured an enterprising second-wicket partnership worth 105 invaluable runs.
Twenty-two-year-old Lewis raced to his maiden FC fifty while Bravo, in his 59th FC match and 100th FC innings; reached his 18th fifty. Lewis counted one six and eleven fours off 165 balls for 78 when he was dismissed at 161, adjudged handled ball while seventeen runs later; Bravo departed for 60 that included two sixes and four fours off 141 balls.
Jason Mohammed made 22 while debutant Jonathan Augustus enjoyed an auspicious outing on his QPCC home turf by spanking a classy 61 that contained twelve boundaries off 66 deliveries.
T&T will travel to Bimshire for their fourth round clash against Barbados at the Kensington Oval from Friday.

By BRIJ PARASNATH
In Trinidad & Tobago