When bad light stopped cricket 13 overs early, Jeffers was undefeated on 72 and Willett was unbeaten on 65 as the Leewards reached 173 for two, replying to Trinidad & Tobago's first innings total of 335.

Jeffers and Willett have so far featured in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of exactly 100 after they came together with the visitors in a spot of bother after lunch on 73 for two. They capitalised on T&T's poor fielding and bowling attack that lacked bite.

No fewer than five catches went a-begging with Aneil Kanhai being the main culprit as he spilled two straightforward chances.

Jeffers was dropped on 29, 59 and 62. In-between, he brought up his 50 with two consecutive boundaries of left-arm spin bowler Davindra Krishna, playing his first match for T&T.

Jeffers' innings has so far spanned 4-1/4 hours and 177 balls and contained 11 fours, while Willett's 126-ball stay at the crease has lasted two hours, 20 minutes and was laced with 11 fours.

Earlier, T&T continued from their overnight position of 293 for eight and added an important 42 runs for the last two wickets, with Marlon Black, Amit Jaggernauth, and Krishna making the handy contributions.

Left-arm spin bowler Virgil Browne, playing his first match for the Leewards, captured eight wickets for 139 from 39 overs. He became the 11th bowler to take eight wickets in an innings in regional cricket, the last being Jamaican fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who picked up eight for 59 against T&T in last year's competition at the Queen's Park Oval. West Indies fast-medium bowler Kerry Jeremy ended with two for 54.

Left with an hour's batting before the lunch interval, the visitors lost vice-captain Alex Adams caught at short-cover off Dwayne Bravo's bowling for 14. And after the break, Sylvester Joseph was caught behind off the bowling of off-spinner Jaggernauth with the total on 73.

It was Jaggernauth's first wicket at this level for T&T. He represented the West Indies-B in the 2003 series.

Play will start half-hour earlier on the third day.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1st innings

(o/n 293 for eight)

I.Jan b Browne 55

D.Bravo c and b Browne 26

T.Maraj c and b Browne 61

R.Powell stp. J.Williams b Browne 3

A.Kanhai b Browne 2

S.Babwah stp. J.Williams b Browne 94

G.Mohammed c wkpr J.Williams b Jeremy 22

R.Emrit c (sub.) Powell b Browne 12

M.Black c Jeffers b Browne 9

A.Jaggernauth lbw b Jeremy 12

D.Krishna not out 15

Extras: (b-2, lb-2, nb-19) 23

Total: (all out) 335

Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-95, 3-105, 4-107, 5-217, 6-264, 7-290, 8-290, 9-312.

Bowling: Jeremy 23.5-11-54-2 (nb-3), Weston 9-2-35-0 (nb-2), Willett 10-3-47-0 (nb-8), Cornwall 18-3-55-0 (nb-6), Browne 39-3-139-8; Adams 3-1-11-0.

LEEWARD ISLANDS 1st innings

A.Adams c Maraj b Bravo 14

S.Jeffers not out 72

S.Joseph c wkpr Mohammed b Jaggernauth 10

T.Willett not out 65

Extras: (b-3, lb-7, w-1, nb-1) 12

Total: (2 wkts) 173

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-73.

Bowling: Black 12-1-32-1 (nb-1, w-1), Emrit 4.3-0-19-0, Bravo 13-4-33-1, Krishna 16-8-31-0, Jan 1-0-3-0, Jaggernauth 12-2-36-1, Powell 5-2-9-0.

Position: Leeward Islands trail Trinidad & Tobago by 162 runs with eight first innings wickets standing.