April 16th 2006 by HAYDN GILL in Trinidad

POINTE-A-PIERRE – Barbados sailed comfortably through Trinidad and Tobago waters and came up with a big catch here yesterday.

For part of opening day of the Carib Beer Challenge final, however, it looked like if they would come up empty-handed at Guaracara Park.

At one stage, they might even have considered asking for a few decisions to be referred to an international arbitration panel when some verdicts were going against them.

But during the last two-and-a-half-hours, Barbados picked up six wickets, and restricted Trinidad and Tobago to 223/8.

One of those wickets included Brian Lara, a victim to Pedro Collins for the fifth time (see accompanying box) to transform an encouraging Trinidad and Tobago platform into a position of decline.

The three left-armers, Pedro Collins, Ian Bradshaw and Ryan Hinds, led the fightback after Trinidad and Tobago, moving slowly but soundly, had reached 109 for two a few minutes away from tea, to the satisfaction
of a 5 000 strong crowd expecting their boys to complete a dream double this season.

By then, Barbados were vastly disappointed with a few decisions that had gone against them and most in favour of Trinidad and Tobago's anchor, Lendl Simmons.

Usually a dasher and with an appetite for runs against Barbados following his 115 and 58 against them nine weeks ago that helped set up Trinidad and Tobago's capture of the Cup, Simmons demonstrated another version of his style to play responsibly for 84 that stretched almost five hours.

Midway into it, however, Barbados might have felt Simmons was out three times.

They were certain he was lbw to Corey Collymore when he was 43 and would have found out later that television replays seemed to suggest Simmons was run out on 47. The Bajans also looked dumbfounded when Simmons was on 48 and the ruling was for a bound ball when Ryan Austin dived to his right to haul in what the visitors believed was a return catch.

Hinds and his men didn't allow the disappointments to get to them. They kept plugging away and were eventually rewarded, with Collins spearheading the revival by removing Lara and Dwayne Bravo in quick succession.

Trinidad and Tobago passed 100 with just the one wicket down and by then Bravo had been dropped twice, both sharp chances to Dwayne Smith at forward short-leg off Hinds.

Collins induced Bravo into edging a catch to first slip but he would have been more delighted when he claimed Lara, the multiple world record holder whose arrival was met with thunderous cheers from the ground.

Lara made only two before Collins earned an lbw decision when the left-hander missed a full length ball on shuffling across his stumps.

A third wicket partnership of 54 between Simmons and Jason Mohammed followed, but Barbados made serious inroads into the Trinidad and Tobago batting when four wickets fell for nine runs.

Once the linchpin Simmons was removed after top-edging an attempted sweep to give Smith a simple catch running back from forward short-leg, the momentum shifted It was a soft dismissal from a batsman who had admirably buckled down for most of the day.

It was the turning point of the day. From 161 for three, the next four wickets fell for nine runs.

Bradshaw took over from Collins at the northern end, removing Jason Mohammed and Richard Kelly. Just before Mohammed was Floyd Reifer's second catch of the day at first slip, Barbados were also sure he had edged a catch to the keeper.

There was no doubt, however, that Kelly had dragged an intended drive into his stumps.

In between those two dismissals, Hinds struck an important blow with the wicket of Denesh Ramdin in a virtual carbon-copy of one of his dismissals on the recent tour of New Zealand.

The wicket-keeper/batsman played down the line of a ball that pitched on leg stump, spun across and bowled him. It must be a worrying sign for someone who we believe has immense potential but whose game has been dogged by a few faults in recent times.

While Hinds delivered as many as 23 overs and took two for 48, it was noteworthy that Barbados' specialist spinner, Ryan Austin, was belatedly brought on after 2 p.m. and given only nine overs in which he caused a problem or two before the batsmen went after him.

It is also worth mentioning that Corey Collymore, on his return to competitive action since an operation to his knee on December 1, delivered five successive maidens in his first spell in which he dislodged Daren Ganga when the Trinidad and Tobago captain was lbw offering no stroke.

As the day progressed however, Collymore seemed not entirely comfortable.

haydngill@nationnews.com

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