It was a triumphant return to the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force starting line-up for Jyd Goolie. He battled his way to an unbeaten 57 to guide the home team to 214 for seven at stumps against the Guyana Harpy Eagles on the first day of their final-round West Indies Championship four-day match at the Queen’s Park Oval, yesterday.
With showers around in the morning session, the visitors got a lucky break when they won the toss and capitalised, with three early wickets from Keemo Paul, which left the hosts in a world of trouble.
However, an even 50 from opener Cephas Cooper and Goolie’s resistance with the lower order lifted the Red Force total and frustrated the defending champions for much of the afternoon session.
The Red Force’s troubles began early when Kamil Pooran, who had struck a boundary off Paul, edged the very next delivery to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach for just four. Following a rain interruption, Amir Jangoo also fell to Paul, leaving the hosts struggling at 15 for two after nine overs.
Cooper injected some momentum with two boundaries off Ronaldo Alimohamed, but another rain delay disrupted play with the Red Force on 23 for two. Upon resumption, Jason Mohammed succumbed to a rising delivery from Paul, fending it to third slip as the batting struggles continued.
By lunch, T&T had reached 55 for three after 20 overs, with Cooper on 28 and Joshua Da Silva on seven. Paul was the standout bowler of the session, claiming three for 24.
Post-lunch, Cooper brought up a well-earned half-century but was soon trapped lbw by Veerasammy Permaul, while Da Silva edged a drive off Nial Smith to second slip, reducing the Red Force to 96 for five.
A vital 50-run partnership between Goolie and Khary Pierre steadied the innings as they safely navigated the session to tea. Goolie, playing just his third match of the season, showed patience in compiling 20 off 66 balls, while Pierre contributed a valuable 28 off 51 at the break.
Pierre continued his defiance after tea but was eventually dismissed for a hard-fought 38 off 100 balls, edging Smith behind. His dismissal brought Terrance Hinds to the crease. He made an immediate impact with aggressive strokeplay, including boundaries off Smith and Permaul.
At the other end, Goolie reached his half-century off 125 balls with a single off Permaul, and a sweep for four by Hinds took the hosts past the 200-run mark.
However, Hinds fell before the close, edging a wild, loose drive at Alimohamed to Paul in the slips as Guyana ended the day on top. But with Goolie still unbeaten, the Red Force will be looking to push their total much further along today in hopes of setting up a competitive contest in this title-deciding encounter.
Summarised scores:
At UWI SPEC ST AUGUSTINE
JAMAICA SCORPIONS 133 (Kirk McKenzie 31; Jaden Edmund 5/59, Larry Edward 3/6)
vs CCC 174-4 (Shaqkere Parris 70 n.o., Johann Jeremiah 69; Brad Barnes 2/38)
AT COOLIDGE CRICKET GROUND
WINDWARDS VOLCANOES 106 (Noelle Leo 22; Joshua Bishop 3/15, Nathan Edward 2/15, Kelvin Pitman 2/22, McKenny Clarke 2/34)
vs WI ACADEMY 197-5 (Teddy Bishop 54, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 45, Justin Jagessar 42; Kenneth Dember 2/23)