Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will need to get 176 runs on the final day of their West Indies Four-day Championship match against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair, to notch their second win of the ongoing season.
At the end of an eventful day three in round four on March 15, Red Force closed on ten for two in their second innings after being set a victory target of 186 by the table-toppers.
Carrying a 103-run lead into the second innings, the Red Force bowled out the visitors for 288 before facing a nervy and anxious 15 overs with the bat in the day’s final session.
In only the second over of their second innings, Red Force lost opener Vikash Mohan (one) via a soft dismissal as he offered a simple return catch to left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge.
The message to the Red Force batsmen seemed to be wicket preservation, as opener Kjorn Ottley and the in-form Jyd Goolie poked and prodded with no real intent to score. And after Ottley was given a life via a dropped catch at mid-off by Shermon Lewis, the left-hander was sent back to the pavilion when he edged a Kenneth Dember delivery through to Alick Athanaze at first slip. Ottley made two off 28 balls.
The Red Force batsmen remained watchful in the last few overs of the day’s play, and Goolie (two not out off 38 balls) and nightwatchman Bryan Charles saw the hosts to the close of play without further loss, after surviving a run-out scare with their team on nine for two.
Earlier in the day, the Windwards batsmen showed far more resistance than in the first innings when they were rolled over for 191 on day one. Overnight batsman and Trinidadian Jeremy Solozano made 70, while the stylish Sunil Ambris made a breezy 71 with nine fours and the solitary six to lead the way for the Volcanoes.
There were also solid contributions from the visitors’ middle order as Shamar Springer and Ryan John made 40 and 38 respectively.
After beginning the third day on 68 for two, the Windwards progressed to 145 for three at lunch with Athanaze (28) being the lone player dismissed in the morning session.
Fast bowler Jayden Seales was the pick of the Red Force bowlers with three for 45 and he threatened to blow the game wide open when he took the wickets of Solozano and Tevyn Walcott (duck) just after lunch.
Ambris played a solid counter-attacking knock and was well-supported by Springer in a 71-run stand for the sixth wicket, before giving his wicket away when he tried to cut a delivery from Charles (two for 67).
Springer came into his own and struck six boundaries in his 40 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Terrance Hinds (one for 30).
John then added 30 runs for the eighth wicket with Lewis to take the Windwards score to 284, before Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip, who grabbed a five-wicket haul in the first innings, snuffed out the last three wickets for just four runs. Pierre ended with figures of two for 67, with Phillip grabbing figures of two for 65.
After a shaky and uncertain start to TT’s second innings, the Windw
