TCL Group Regional Under-19 Cricket Challenge
Round 3 Day 3
July 19, 2009

T&T youth cricketers stayed on course for championship honours despite being held to a draw by Barbados in Round Three of the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Challenge, yesterday, at Up-Park Camp in Kensington.

T&T leads the six-team standings with 30 points going into tomorrow’s Round Four match against the Leeward Islands at Chedwin Park , just on the outskirt of Spanish Town, some 24 miles from the City of Kingston.

The game was originally carded for Sabina Park but was shifted to Chedwin Park for reasons unknown by the organisers.

Seeking a hattrick of wins in the three-day tournament after comprehensive victories against Jamaica and the Windward Islands, T&T with a handy first innings lead of 124, was thwarted by a defiant innings from Anthony Alleyne who struck a determined unbeaten 102.

Barbados reached 242 for four in their second innings when the game was called off.

Alleyne batted for 340 minutes with 14 fours.

Yannic Cariah was again the leading bowler for T&T with figures of three for 68 to end with a match-haul of seven for 103

Earlier, Barbados resumed on their bed-time position of 21 without loss still needing a further 101 runs to avoid an innings defeat. Openers Alleyne was on 13 not out and Brathwaite eight.

For once in the series, it seemed that the opposition batsmen would master the penetrative spin and pace attack, as took T&T close to 72 minutes to break the opening stand, when the Bajans ‘Big Fish’ Brathwaite was caught by skipper Yannick Ottley of Cariah’s bowling for 37 with the total on 60.

Cariah followed up soon after with the scalp of Dario Cummins (1) who was trapped in front with the score on 68. However, the big-hitting Roston Chase teamed up with Alleyne and together they defied the T&T bowling attack with resolute batting.

Barbados went to lunch on 102 for two, still in arrears by 22 runs with Alleyne on 34 and Chase 22.

On the resumption, Chase (26) was brilliantly caught by substitute Amir Khan off Ottley’s bowling to leave Barbados in a spot of bother with the total on 110 for three.

However, Alleyne found a useful partner in Raymond Reifer and carried the total to 186 for three at the tea interval. Immediately after the break, the probing Cariah struck again when he had Reifer (33) caught by Evin Lewis as Barbados slipped to 186 for four.

However , Alleyne and Jason Holder guided Barbados to safety.

Manager of the T&T team, William Wallace said that although this was not the result they were looking for, he was still pleased to come out with six important points.

“ We were looking for an outright win to pull away from the field, but I am still pleased with the outcome. It was a good test for the team against the defending champions, which will serve us well for the remaining two matches of the league championship,” Wallace told the Trinidad Guardian.

In news from the dressing room, wicketkeeper Rixon Maniram did not take the field yesterday because of a groin injury.

He expected to visit a specialist today.

Today is a rest day in the series.

Point standings:

T&T 30 pts,Jamaica 24, Leewards 24, Barbados 19, Windwards 12, Guyana 4.

SCOREBOARD

At Up-Park Camp
Barbados v T&T
Barbados 1st Inns 183
T&T 1st Inns 307
Barbados 2nd (o-n 21-0)
K Brathwaite c Ottley b Cariah*37
A Alleyne not out*102
D Cummins lbw Cariah*1
R Chase c (sub) Amir Khan b Ottley*26
R Reifer c Lewis b Cariah*33
J Holder not out *24
Extras (15b, 2lb 3nb)*20
TOTAL (for 4 wkts 93 overs)*242
Wkts: 60, 68,110, 133,  186.
Bowling: Teshawn Castro 6-2-13-0, Sachin Boodram 15-5-33-0,
Javed Boodram 8-2-26-0, Yannic Cariah 31-8-68-3, Kissoondath
Magram 7-0-17-0, Yannick Ottley 20-6-68-3, Evin Lewis
5-2-22-0, Marc Panchu 1-0-2-0.
Man of Match Anthony Alleyne
Points – T&T 6pts, Barbados 3.