Emrit and Mohammed revive T&T against Leewards (Round 3, Day 1)
CMC | 18/01/08
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PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Captain Rayad Emrit and wicket-keeper/batsman Gibran Mohammed posted an unbroken partnership to revive Trinidad and Tobago against the Leeward Islands on a rain-hit opening day of the Carib Beer Series third round match on Friday.
Sent bat when play started midway the post-lunch session, Trinidad and Tobago stumbled to 87 for four - with batting ace Brian Lara retired hurt - before Emrit and Mohammed dragged the score to 166 for four at the close of play, extended to near 6:00 pm to make up for lost time.
Emrit, in his first season as captain, lashed an attacking 49 not out and Mohammed (38) was with him as they added 79 runs in just 84 minutes in a fifth-wicket partnership.
After the players lost 3-1/2 hours because of soggy areas on the outfield, the match finally started at 2:10 local time and the Leewards struck two fairly quick blows that reduced T&T to 29 for two.
Teenager Adrian Barath went first, caught at backward square leg as he hooked a delivery from past bowler Lionel Baker.
There was soon more trouble for the visitors when double world record holder Lara was forced to retire hurt on nine. X-rays showed a fracture in his arm and he will likely take no further part in the game.
Lara had smashed Baker to the cover boundary but he was struck on the arm a few balls later by the Montserratian pacer, and his replacement Darren Bravo lasted just one ball.
Bravo, younger brother of West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, tried to fend off a rising delivery from fast bowler Adam Sanford and stepped back onto his stumps to depart hit-wicket without scoring.
Opener Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard steered T&T to tea without further damage at 43 for two but the off-spinner Chaka Hodge dislodged Pollard (7) immediately after the break at 47 for three.
Simmons, who was 21 at the tea-break, went on to score 47, with six boundaries before spinner Anthony Martin trapped him leg before wicket with the score on 87 for four.
Emrit then linked up with Mohammed and the pair took T&T safely to the close in a decent position.
Emrit needed just 53 balls to move to within one run of a half century and took command like a captain should.
He belted five fours plus a pair of sixes - lifting Hodge over the square leg boundary and Martin over the extra-cover ropes.
Mohammed has so far stroked three fours in his innings.
Ex-West Indies pacer Sanford finished the day with one for 18 off six overs, while Martin (1-21), Baker (1-34) and Hodge (1-42) shared the other three wickets.
Play is scheduled to start at 9:30 local time to recover some of the lost time.
Both teams are tied for third in the standings on 12 points, but Trinidad and Tobago have a game in hand.
