Confidence can change a person and this was on show yesterday as two men who won the recent Super-50 title scored hundreds to help the T&T Red Force increase their stranglehold against the Jamaica Scorpions on day two of their Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
Joshua Da Silva and Yannic Carriah both reached the mileston while skipper Darren Bravo added a half-century as the Red Force declared on 460-4, before pegging back at 94-3 by the close.
West Indies opener and Scorpions skipper John Campbell was one off-spinner Bryan Charles’ early victims and he added that of Jermaine Blackwood, while medium pacer Terrence Hinds removed Assad Fudadin, for his first First Class wicket, before the umpires called play.
Resuming on the overnight position of 242-3 yesterday, the Red Force had a plan in mind and that was to bat carefully in the first session. They scored just 64 runs in the period between the start of play and lunch. They lost Bravo for 65 to a leg before decision that did not go down well with the left-handed batsman. He fell to pacer Durval Green but replays showed that the ball pitched outside the leg stump. His contribution came off 164 balls with five fours and two sixes.
When Bravo left the total was 300-4 and Da Silva was already unbeaten on 86.
Carriah, known as a grafter, came in and after getting accustomed to the bounce and pace of the pitch took off. The left-hander dominated the attack and kept the runs flowing as Da Silva became a mere onlooker. Playing beautifully through the off-side, Carriah brought great excitement to the handful of spectators on hand. He dominated to the extent that he threatened to reach his century before Da Silva.
However, Da Silva reached his hundred, his maiden First Class ton and third at this ground in a month and a half. His century came on the heels of centuries in the Super50 and the domestic Namalco Under-23 series.
When Carriah reached his century off 135 balls with seven fours and two sixes, Bravo called in his men.
Da Silva was unbeaten on 113 off 216 balls with eight fours and a six. Afterwards, he put down this performance to his fitness and confidence.
“My body feels good and this led to my performance. After the regional Super50 I felt good and this has really put me in a good frame of mind,” Da Silva told Guardian Media, adding his purple patch has a lot to do with his fitness.
“I have gotten runs over the past few months and this I think it is due to my improved fitness. I am really overjoyed with my first First Class century and with a number of West Indies A team tours coming up this year I looking to get on.”
Play on the third day today begins at 10 am.
SCOREBOARD
T&T Red Force v Jamaica Scorpions
Red Force inns.
J. Solozano b Campbell*73
K. Hope lbw Green*9
K. Simmons c Thomas b Powell*89
D. Bravo lbw Green*66
J. Da Silva not out*113
Y.Carriah not out*100
EXTRAS:*10
TOTAL: for 4 wkts dec.*460
Wkts at: 1-13, 2-148, 3-214, 4-300.
BOWLING: M. Mindley 26-7-57-0, D. Green 30-2-98-2, R. Powell 16-1-41-1, A. Williams 5-3-6-0, D. Bulli 6-0-43-0, P. Harty 36-2-117-0, J. Campbell 19-1-53-1, J. Blackwood 12-0-35-0, P. Palmer 1-0-7-0.
Jamaica inns.
J. Campbell lbw Charles*18
A. Fudadin c Hosein b Hinds*9
P. Palmer not out*31
J. Blackwood b Charles*6
R. Powell not out*25
EXTRAS:*5
TOTAL: for 3 wkts*94
Wkts at: 1-32, 2-32, 3-53.
BOWLING: T. Hinds 6-3-12-1, O. Smith 3-0-17-0, B. Charles 10-1-34-2, A. Hosein 8-0-27-0.
