TRINIDAD and Tobago Red Force delivered a solid opening session on day one of their 2025 West Indies Championship opening tie as they put on 184/2 after 54 overs, up to press time, at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on January 29.
An aggressive 137-run opening stance from Cephas Cooper (80) and Vikash Mohan (66) set a stern foundation for the hosts as Red Force recorded a positive start to the new season.
Despite a short delay to the start owing to slight mid-day rain, Red Force were put in to bat and had Mohan and Cooper dominate the shortened day's play.
Mohan got off the mark from the first ball by hitting two runs off right-arm fast bowler Akeem Jordan. The pair batted patiently but after fast bowler Ojay Shields went for eight runs in the eighth over, right-arm spinner Avinash Mahabirsingh was introduced to the attack in the tenth, with Red Force on 22 without loss.
Mohan gave him a rude welcome as he took one step forward and crashed the ball down the ground for four off his second delivery. Three balls later, Mohan had Cooper ducking for cover as he dispatched Mahabirsingh for another boundary.
Cooper joined in two overs later, driving the spinner for four, and then another in the 14th over.
The TT pair took a liking to TT off-spinner Abhijai Mansingh and Andre Bailey and carried the hosts to a sturdy 82 without loss inside 28 overs, before the rains came after two hours of play.
The stoppage initiated the lunch break, but at the resumption, the Red Force opening pair batted on. Cooper overtook Mohan in scoring after punishing Jordan for consecutive fours. He brought a well-deserved half-century with a pull shot for four, which also brought up the hundred for TT.
Soon after, Mohan notched his half-century, but Cooper kept on the attack, going down on one knee to launch Andre Bailey over deep mid-wicket for the evening's first maximum.
After 42 overs, TT were cruising at 137/0 at end of the first session. When play resumed, CCC skipper Johann Jeremiah introduced medium pacer Damel Evelyn to the attack and he reaped immediate rewards.
Evelyn had a wonder start to his campaign as he shattered the well-built 137-run partnership off his first delivery, with Cooper (80) edging to first slip Kyle Corbin.
With TT on 139/1, new batsman Jyd Goolie joined Mohan in the middle and the duo aded 20 runs before the latter played down leg side off Jordan's pace, into the hands of Mahabirsingh.
Veteran Jason Mohammed (21) and Goolie (13) returned some stability to the TT batting line-up and tried to regain control of the innings. After 54 overs, and the end of the first session, Red Force were 171/2 with Goolie on 13 not out and Mohammed on eighth not out.
Over at Arnos Vale Playing Field in Kingstown, St Vincent, Jermaine Blackwood led the charge for Jamaica Scorpions with an unbeaten 101 against Windward Islands Volcanoes. Up to press time, they were 291/7 with Blackwood and Jeavor Royal (five no out) at the crease.
At stumps at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Leeward I
