AFTER almost a two-year absence of four-day cricket TT Red Force spinner Bryan Charles did not appear rusty grabbing a six-wicket haul in one session on the opening day of the 2022 West Indies Four-Day Championship.
In March 2020 with two rounds remaining in that season, the competition was brought to a halt because of the covid19 pandemic.
Wednesday marked the return of four-day cricket in the West Indies with two matches being played in Trinidad and one in Barbados.
A small crowd attended the match between Red Force and Jamaica Scorpions at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. Vaccinated fans are allowed to attend the match.
After Red Force fast bowler Jayden Seales snatched the early wicket of Leroy Lugg for one the experienced pair of John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood guided Scorpions to 74/1 at lunch. Red Force did not help their cause letting Scorpions off the hook with drop catches.
One of the missed opportunities for Red Force was when Blackwood was dropped at gully just before lunch off fast bowler Shannon Gabriel.
It was a perfect second session for the Red Force led by off-spinner Charles.
Charles, who told Newsday recently he worked on his bowling variations during the downtime, seemed ready for the occasion despite the downtime because of the pandemic.
In the first ball after lunch Charles got the breakthrough when Campbell was caught for 25 at short mid-wicket by Red Force captain Imran Khan.
Charles then got the prized wicket of West Indies Test batsman Blackwood for 44 off 72 deliveries and Alwyn Williams did not last long as he was caught at mid-off by Seales to give Charles another scalp.
A mix up between Paul Palmer and Romaine Morrison led to the run out of the latter for duck as both batsmen ended up at the same end.
Seales, making his first-class debut for Red Force despite playing four Test matches for West Indies, showed his quality generating pace and bounce on the surface.
It was a tricky surface for the batsmen as the bounce was inconsistent.
Scorpions were in trouble on 94/6 when Derval Green was caught in the slips by Charles to give Seales the wicket.
Charles could not stay out of the action trapping Jamie Merchant leg before for duck as Scorpions slipped to 99/7.
Palmer and Marquino Mindley offered some resistance with a spirited eighth-wicket partnership.
[caption id="attachment_938918" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Red Force fast bowler Anderson Phillip (L) reacts after bowling to Jamaican Scorpions’ Jermaine Blackwood, during their CWI Regional Four-Day match, on Wednesday, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
Khan, a player with over 400 first-class wickets, only brought himself into the attack shortly before tea.
Mindley and Palmer played some attacking strokes, but Khan broke the promising partnership.
Khan, 37, showed he is still athletic by diving forward to complete a catch off his bowling to dismiss Palmer for 24. The partnership between Palmer and Mindley was worth 33 runs.
Charles comple
