T&T Red Force on the back of a solid 82 from Imran Khan and an unbeaten 49 from Narsingh Deonarine took a 39-run lead on first innings against the Leewards Hurricanes at the close of play on the second day of the PCL Four-day clash at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain Couva yesterday.
Replying to the Leewards first innings score of 225 all out, the T&T Red Force closed the day on 264 for six, with Deonarine leading a fightback after Rakheen Cornwall grabbed three quick wickets to reduce the home team to 217 for six. Deonarine had built on the earlier good work of all rounder Imran Khan who scored his first half century for the Red Force in two years.
T&T started on the bedtime position of seven without loss and Khan made sure the locals took control by attacking the pacers early on. He was severe on Garvin Tonge and sent him to the boundary regularly. Hope proved the perfect foil at the other end and together they posted a solid 87 for the first wicket.
Hope who has been very steady at the top of the order this season for the Red Force was the first to go, following an outswinger from Orlando Peters into the hands of wicketkeeper Jahmah Hamilton. His 26 occupied 112 minutes in which time he faced 73 balls and struck four fours. Khan continued to bat well and settled in nicely bringing up his half century in partnership with Evin Lewis. The two took the score to 94 for one at lunch.
On the resumption they added another 49 runs before Lewis was given out leg before to Tonge for 22. The left hander stood his ground for a while before dejectedly trudging off, visibly upset with umpire Nandkumar Shivsankar.
Khan followed his partner also upset at a leg before decision by umpire Shivsankar for 82. He batted for 214 minutes, faced 146 balls and struck 12 fours. The former West Indies Under-19 batsman Yannic Carriah was then joined by the Guyanese Deonarine with the score at 158 for three.
The two steadied the innings at that point but just as T&T was getting into a dominant position at 199 for three, ‘Jimbo’ struck with three quick wickets. The burly Cornwall twirling his off-spinners sent back Yannic Carriah (30), skipper Jason Mohammed (4) and Yannick Ottley (1) in the space of 18 runs.
SCOREBOARD
T&T Red Force vs Leewards Hurricanes
Leewards 1st inns 225 all out
T&T Red Force (7/0)
T&T Red Force inns
K Hope c Hamilton b Peters 26
I Khan lbw Tonge 82
E Lewis lbw Tonge 22
Y Carriah c Hodge b Cornwall 30
N Deonarine not out 49
J Mohammed c Bolan b Cornwall 4
Y Ottley lbw Cornwall 1
S Katwaroo not out 18
Extras 19b, 4lb, 5w, 4nb 32
Total for six wkts 264
Fall of wkts: 87, 143, 158, 199, 209, 217.
Bowling: G Tonge 14-2-56-2, A Joseph 12-1-50-0, J Louis 8-2-28-0, O Peters 9-1-21-1, R Cornwall 28-10-46-3, D Cruickshank 9-1-8-0, J Taylor 11-1-32-0.