Da Silva stars on rain-hit day

JOSHUA Da Silva continued his impressive progress this season with an unbeaten 67 as the TT Red Force reached 192 runs for five wickets against runaway leaders Barbados Pride.

Action was on a rain-affected opening day of the Regional Four Day Championships Seventh Round encounter, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Da Silva extended his series aggregate to 456 (the best for a Red Force batsman this season) as he overcame numerous stoppages, a dropped catch, and testing Pride bowling on a typically slow Tarouba pitch.

Da Silva got useful support from former West Indies batsman Kyle Hope (40) and Isaiah Rajah (33).

Reinstalled Red Force captain Imran Khan won the toss and elected to bat, and the hosts fielded a new opening pair of Hope and debutant Cephas Cooper.

There was a half-hour rain delay (from 10.22 to 10.52 am) when the Red Force were three without loss, but the openers posted an opening partnership of 59 before Cooper was dismissed on the stroke of lunch, bowled by medium pacer Kyle Mayers for 16.

Mayers, who has shone with the bat this season, proved his worth with the ball with a pair of wickets, off successive balls, early in the second session.

The Barbados-born Hope (40), pushing uncertainly at one aimed at middle stump, was trapped leg-before, while former skipper Jason Mohammed was bowled by one that kept low.

Rajah, son of ex-TT middle order batsman Aneil, was joined by Da Silva and they featured in a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 84.

There were a couple stoppages before tea, while both batsmen survived dropped chances at first slip.

Da Silva (on 21) drove at a ball from left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican but Ashley Nurse was unable to hold on, diving to his right. Rajah (on 20) prodded at one from medium pacer Kevin Stoute but was spilled by Pride skipper Kraigg Braithwaite, low to his right.

Fast bowler Chemar Holder, who entered the game as the third-leading wicket-taker of the tournament (and the top pacer) with 29 victims, ended Rajah’s stay when he breached the left-hander’s defence and struck his middle stump.

Da Silva brought up his third half-century for the season with a cover drive, for two, off Mayers, but Holder, in the midst of a testing spell from the southern end, removed Jyd Goolie, in similar fashion to Rajah.

Khan kept Da Silva company before a downpour, at 5 pm, brought an early end to proceedings. However, Khan (21 not out), could have been removed when on 12 when he was dropped by Justin Greaves, at first slip, off Holder.

From their drawn encounter last weekend, away to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, the Red Force brought in Hope, Cooper, Goolie and Bryan Charles for the injured pair of Yannick Ottley (who skippered the team against the Hurricanes), Terrance Hinds, as well as Jeremy Solozano and Khary Pierre (dropped).

The Pride, who whipped the Windward Islands Volcanoes by 127 runs at home last weekend, replaced fast bowler Kemar Roach (rested) with the veteran off-spinner Ashley Nurse.

Play will resume on Friday from 9.34 am.