A POTENTIALLY game-changing spell from leg-spinner Yannic Cariah (4/28) put North on the front foot at the close of play on day one of the TT Cricket Board/Soca Kings North South Classic off at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, on Thursday.
Cariah spun webs around South’s middle and lower order batsmen and teamed up with fellow spinner Khary Pierre (3/42) to dismiss the Imran Khan-captained unit for just 142 from 60.3 overs.
In reply, North closed the first day’s play at a comfortable 43 without loss after 19 overs.
Having won the toss and choosing to bat first, South found it hard to score against North’s opening pace pair of Terrance Hinds and Uthman Muhammad.
Nine balls in, Cephas Cooper was caught at slip by Cariah, off Muhammad, without a run on the board. Navin Bidaisee joined Kjorn Ottley in the middle but was soon sent packing for 12 runs, trapped leg-before by Pierre.
Seven runs later, Ottley (12) perished after being caught by Tion Webster off another Pierre delivery (27/3). Jason Mohammed (27) and Jyd Goolie (53) staged a small fight back to carry South to 56, before the former was caught by Amir Jangoo, courtesy Pierre’s wizardry with the ball.
Goolie played patiently, and with Kyle Kissoondath (14) led them to 89. But in came Cariah who removed the latter, then Khan (11) to see South limp to 126/6.
The remaining four wickets fell cheaply for a meagre 16 runs as eventual top scorer Goolie was run out by Isaiah Rajah while Bryan Charles (nine), Justin Manick (four) and Shaaron Lewis (duck) followed. Cariah grabbed the scalps of Manick and Lewis.
North’s Vikash Mohan bowled 1/1 while Muhammad bagged 1/33.
In their turn at the crease, North played patiently through openers Keagan Simmons (26 not out) and Mohan (nine not out). Simmons hit two fours.
The three-day match continues on Friday with action at the same venue from 10 am.
The North/South Classic is also being used as a trial match for selection to the TT Red Force team for the upcoming Cricket West Indies Regional Four-Day Championships.
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