Mohammed hits unbeaten 92 but Red Force on brink of heavy defeat
… Reifer hits career-best 108

JASON Mohammed struck an unbeaten 92 as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force batted doggedly to reach 282-8 in their second innings on day three as they faced an uphill battle to save the final round of Cricket West Indies Regional four-day first-class championships.
The tourists’ display was a remarkable turnaround from their first-innings display when

they were dismissed for 135; but despite the fight they are facing the prospect of another huge defeat.

When bails were lifted yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, the tourists were still 123 runs behind to make the Guyana Jaguars bat again.
Tion Webster contributed an eye-catching 77 while Denesh Ramdin made 47 as they contributed significantly to reduce the deficit.

Mohammed has so far faced 184 balls, counting 14 boundaries. Earlier, the title-holders secured a daunting first-innings lead of 405 runs. The Jaguars declared on 540-9 – a record against Trinidad and Tobago – 80 minutes into the day’s play.
Earlier, Raymon Reifer made a career-best unbeaten 108 off 217 balls, with ten boundaries.

Resuming at the overnight score of 466 for seven, the hosts were on the lookout for quick runs when play started. Keemo Paul, who was put down on 45, lifted leg-spinner Imran Khan for a mighty six over long on to take his total beyond the 50 mark.
But he perished soon after, lbw to Imran Khan (2-130) for 53. At the other end, the right-hander Reifer, who started the day 15 runs short of his maiden first-class century seemed to be in no discomfort at all as he reached the landmark with a single.

Veerasammy Permaul was the other batsman dismissed, taken at the wicket off leg-spinner Yannic Cariah, who finished the best of the visitors’ bowlers, with 3-91. Bryan Charles (2-107), Daniel St. Clair (1-69) and Webster (1-56) were the other successful bowlers for the tourists.

The tourists were left facing an uphill struggle, and after surviving a couple of scares, openers Amir Jangoo and Jeremy Solozano put on 33 by lunch, but immediately after the interval both batsmen were undone by left-arm spinners, Permaul and Gudakesh Motie, as the hosts once again threatened to expose the brittle Red Force’s batting.

Motie (2-73) had Jangoo caught behind while Permaul (2-61), bowled Solozano, to leave the tourists at 43-2. Webster then took responsibility for the innings, with a scintillating half-century. Displaying fluency against both pace and spin, the right-hander hammered eleven boundaries and four sixes in the process in an innings which lasted just 54 deliveries.

He made his intentions clear, hitting Paul for 24 runs in one over but just when it looked like Webster would run away with the battle, Paul (2-88) struck against the run of play with the wicket of Webster, who miscued an attempted pull to give Sherfane Rutherford a simple catch at short mid-on.

Mohammed and Ramdin joined forces together and defied the hosts attack for the remainder of the session at 208-3, with Mohammed at tea on 56 and Ramdin on 32.
The pair took their partnership to 117 before Rutherford (2-21) provided the vital breakthrough when he had Ramdin caught and bowled for 47.
At the other end Mohammed, who remained firm, then watched the demise of Carriah, Steven Katwaroo and Imran Khan.

Motie trapped Carriah lbw before Katwaroo went in similar fashion to Rutherford and Paul bowled Khan just before the scheduled close of play.
However, captain Leon Johnson then requested the extra half-hour in which Permaul trapped St Daniel Clair in the final over.

SCOREBOARD
T&T RED FORCE 1st innings 135
GUYANA JAGUARS 1st innings (o/n 466 for 7)
T. Chanderpaul c Charles b St Clair 36
C. Hemraj c St Clair b Charles 72
S. Hetmyer c Phillip b Charles 46
L. Johnson c Solozano b Cariah 17
A. Persaud b Khan 21
A. Bramble c Webster b Cariah 42
R. Reifer not out 108
S. Rutherford b Webster 92
K. Paul lbw b Khan 53
V. Permaul c wkp. b Katwaroo b Cariah 9
G. Motie not out 17
Extras: (b-14, lb-1, w-3, nb-8) 26
Total: (for nine wickets, 152 overs) 540
Fall of wickets: 1-109, 2-134, 3-164, 4-198, 5-198, 6-250, 7-411, 8-499, 9-518.
Bowling: Phillip 26-7-63-0, St Clair 18-3-69-1, Charles 32-7-107-2, Webster 11-0-56-1, Khan 45-7-130-2, Mohammed 6-3-9-0, Cariah 14-1-91-3.

T&T RED FORCE 2nd innings
A. Jangoo c Johnson b Motie 16
J. Solozano b Permaul 16
T. Webster c Rutherford b Paul 77
J. Mohammed not out 92
D. Ramdin c & b Rutherford 47
Y. Cariah lbw b Motie 0
S. Katwaroo lbw b Rutherford 0
I. Khan b Paul 17
D. St. Clair lbw b Permaul 2
Extras: (b-5, lb-2, w-1, nb-7) 15
Total: (for eight wickets, 81.2 overs) 282
Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-43, 3-127, 4-244, 5-245, 6-246, 7-282, 8-282
Bowling: Paul 16-4-88-2, Reifer 7-1-32-0, Motie 24-5-73-2, Permaul 25.2-8-61-2, Rutherford 9-2-21-2.