Ramdin century leads Red Force to 300

SHERDON PIERRE

Red Force captain Denesh Ramdin scored a century yesterday to help lead his team to a decent first innings score as action in their Cricket West Indies (CWI) regional four-day match against Barbados Pride started on day two after only four balls were possible due to a wet outfield on the opening day at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Ramdin’s hundred came off 159 balls and included 14 fours. The 32 year old, discarded by the West Indies selectors, gave a timely reminder to the selectors of his capabilities to help push TT to 300 after the batting began to falter after a solid start by the opening pair of Jeremy Solozano and Amir Jangoo. The duo added 62 runs before Jangoo was caught by Johnathon Carter off Bajan captain Kevin Stoute for 26 runs. The very next ball Stoute had Isiah Rajah LBW first ball as Red Force slipped to 62/2. Solozano’s aggressive innings ended at 54 runs which included eight fours and one six. He was caught behind by Mario Rampersaud off the bowling of Justin Greaves.

Ramdin joined Ewart Nicholson at the wicket with the score at 100/3. The two solidified the innings by batting cautiously and putting away the bad balls. Nicholson brought up his half century, hitting Williams for a six over long off to guide the Red Force to 174/3 at the end of the first session with Nicholson on 52 and Ramdin 36.

Nicholson started the second session purposely by cutting Warrican for four runs and the very next ball hitting him straight back for six. After a few tight overs, Ramdin tickled an Ashley Nurse’s ball for a single to fine leg, bringing up the 200th run in the innings and the 100 runs partnership between him and Nicholson. The former West Indies Test captain then recorded his half century in Nurse’s other over with a boundary.

A seemingly impatient Nicholson gifted his wicket to the Barbadians when he was caught on the boundary by Williams off Warrican for a well played 74 runs (8 fours, 3 sixes). The wicket ended a 125-run partnership at 225/4.

The setting of the sun and the flood lights seemed to have assisted the faster bowlers as the next over, Greaves picked up his second wicket of the innings when he had Tion Webster caught behind by Rampersaud for two runs.

Continuing on his probing line, Greaves had Primus edging to wicketkeeper Rampersaud for four with the score now 241/6. Greaves excellent spell of swing bowling continued when he had Imran Khan (1 run) edging to second slip Nurse who took a sharp low catch to his left.

Despite the fall of wickets at the other end, Ramdin displayed his experience as he persevered with a patient and well-assured innings to get to triple figures with a cut shot for a boundary off Warrican. But looking to push on, he was out next ball , caught at long on by Nurse.

At press time, Red Force were nine wickets down as they limped to 300 runs.