Fast-bowling trio puts Red Force on top against Pride

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago’s fast-bowling trio of Anderson Phillip, Terrance Hinds and Jayden Seales wrecked Barbados Pride’s normally dependable batting line-up to put their side in the ascendancy in their West Indies Championship play-off match after the second day.

Despite a stellar lower-order fightback that featured half-centuries by Leniko Boucher, Shamar Springer and Joshua Bishop, the Pride ended the day on 262 for nine, still 71 runs adrift of T&T’s first-innings score of 333.

Their performances with the bat rescued the Pride, who at one stage looked as though they might be skittled out after slumping to 47 for six at one stage.

They suffered a nightmare start when Seales bowled Pride captain Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck with the third ball of the innings without a run on the board.

Phillip added to their misery by prising out Jonathan Drakes for 11, before Seales had the in-form Kevin Wickham caught for three, to leave the Pride struggling at 19 for three.

Phillip wasn’t done yet, as he added the scalps of Roston Chase for eight and Shayne Moseley for 15, while Hinds trapped Kyle Mayers lbw for one to make the score 47 for six.

Boucher and Springer halted the slide of wickets during a partnership of 88 that featured attacking play from both batsmen.

But just as they looked to be carrying their side out of trouble, Springer gifted a return catch to Phillip to be out for a well-played 51 off 55 balls, consisting of eight boundaries.

At 135 for seven, the Pride were still in dire straits. However, Boucher found another reliable partner in Bishop with the two featuring in another crucial partnership of 108.

Similar to the previous partnership, the two scored quickly, with Bishop especially not afraid to go over the top.

They carried the score to 243 for seven and gave the Pride hope that they might somehow gain a first-innings lead.

Hinds brought an end to that dream, though, when he had Boucher lbw for an impressive 80 off 121 balls that featured 10 boundaries.

Hinds then wasted little time in disrupting the stumps of tailender Johann Layne after he had scored just four, with six runs added to the total.

T&T were unable to wrap up the tail, however, with Bishop finishing unbeaten on 80 off 89 balls, with nine fours and four sixes, while last man Jomel Warrican is not out on two.

Phillip was T&T’s leading bowler with 4-51, while Hinds has so far taken 3-48 and Seales 2-58.

Earlier, after resuming the day on 298 for seven, the Red Force added 35 valuable runs for their last three wickets.

With the score on 303, they lost the wickets of Phillip for a duck, while captain Joshua Da Silva added just five runs to his overnight total of 65 before being dismissed by Springer.

Their total was boosted by a last-wicket partnership of 30 between Bryan Charles and Jayden Seales.

Springer was the Pride’s best bowler with figures of 3-40, while Kyle Mayers (2-39), Johann Layne (2-58) and Roston Chase (2-66) claimed two wickets apiece.