COLLINS

CRAB HILL, Barbados (CMC):

A rare hundred on first-class debut from Keiron Pollard pulled reigning champions Trinidad and Tobago out of trouble in their opening match of the Carib Beer Series against Barbados yesterday.

The 19-year-old Pollard scored 126 to help T&T recover from early strife and gather a respectable first innings total of 273 after they were sent in to bat.

The Barbadians reached seven without loss when stumps were drawn on the opening day at the North Stars Social & Cultural Club. Watched by a crowd that included Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur and West Indies coach Bennett King, the 6-ft, 5-in tall Pollard struck 11 fours and seven sixes from 150 balls in close to 3-1/2 hours of batting.

Pollard featured in a vital century, seventh-wicket stand with Rayad Emrit which resuscitated T&T from a wobbly 81 for six about half-hour after the lunch interval.

Emrit, who was dropped on five by first-slip fielder Floyd Reifer off Tino Best, made 35 which included four boundaries from 77 balls in 2-1/4 hours and put on 143 with Pollard.

Dwayne Smith collected four wickets for 54 runs from 18.4 overs, and Pedro Collins snared four for 55 from 22 overs to be the most successful Barbados bowlers.

Collins made the breakthrough, when he had T&T captain Daren Ganga caught behind for three, and struck in his next over when newcomer William Perkins was caught at third slip for nine.

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo joined Jason Mohammed at the wicket and stemmed the fall of wickets before Smith removed them both, and West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin in the last 15 minutes before lunch.

Smith had Mohammed caught behind for 10, Bravo caught at second slip for 22, and Ramdin caught at gully for two to leave T&T 53 for five at lunch.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1st Innings

D. Ganga c wkpr Browne b Collins