CRAB HILL (CMC):

Purposeful bowling followed by steady batting put Barbados within reach of victory over reigning champions Trinidad & Tobago in their first round match of the Carib Beer Series yesterday.

Set 191 for victory, Barbados reached 163 for four in their second innings when bad light stopped play 6.4 overs early on the third day at the North Stars Social & Cultural Club.

Barbados had been dismissed for 228 to concede a first innings lead of 45, and then bowled T&T out for 145 in their second innings about half-hour before the tea break.

Successful bowling

Tino Best ripped out the belly of the T&T batting and was Barbados' most successful bowler with four wickets for 41 runs from 11 overs.

All-rounder Dwayne Smith supported with three for 27 from eight overs, and left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins took two for 39 from eight overs.

Dwayne Bravo hit one-dozen boundaries in 71 from 104 balls in just over two hours, and Dave Mohammed with 24 not out provided the second-best effort with the bat for the visitors.

Sweet revenge

Batting a second time, Barbados had early momentum from their openers. Wayne Blackman scored 51 and put on 43 for the first wicket with Dale Richards, who was caught at square cover off Rayad Emrit.

Victory for Barbados would be sweet revenge for them, following two defeats to the reigning champions last year.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1st Innings 273

BARBADOS 1st Innings

(overnight 220 for eight)

F. Reifer c Emrit b Kelly

P. Collins hit wicket b Dillon

C. Collymore not out

b>Extras (b8, lb4, w1, nb6)

Total (all out) 228

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-57, 3-69, 4-92, 5-147, 6-173, 7-212, 8-214, 9-228.

Bowling: Dillon 23-5-43-1 (nb3); Kelly 17.1-5-34-3; D. Mohammed 24-6-49-1; Jaggernauth 23-7-49-2 (w1); Emrit 5-2-13-0; Bravo 9-1-28-1 (nb3).

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2nd Innings

D. Ganga c wkpr Browne b Best

W. Perkins lbw b Collins

J. Mohammed c Smith b Collins

D. Bravo lbw bHinds

K. Pollard b Best

D. Ramdin c Smith b Best

R. Kelly c Stoute b Best

R. Emrit c Collins b Smith

D. Mohammed not out

M. Dillon lbw b Smith

A. Jaggernauth b Smith

Extras (lb1, nb7)

Total (all out) 145

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-3, 3-15, 4-67, 5-67, 6-76, 7-118, 8-120, 9-124.

Bowling: Collins 8-1-39-2; Best 11-1-41-4; Collymore 8-1-25-3; Smith 8-1-27-3;Hinds 4-1-12-1 (nb1).

BARBADOS 2nd Innings

D. Richards c D. Mohammed b Emrit

W. Blackman lbw b D. Mohammed

+P. Browne c Pollard b Jaggernauth

F. Reifer c J. Mohammed b D. Mohammed 9

R. Hinds not out

D. Smith not out

Extras (lb2, nb2)

Total (4 wkts)

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-102, 3-106, 4-120.

Bowling: Dillon 7-0-32-0; Kelly 3-0-23-0; Emrit 3-1-8-1 (nb2); Bravo 6-1-41-0; Mohammed 12.2-2-27-2; Jaggernauth 10-3-30-1.