SCARBOROUGH, Trinidad, (CMC) - Burly middle-order batsman Shazam Babwah stroked his maiden first-class century and kept Trinidad and Tobago afloat against Kenya on the opening day of their third round Carib Beer Series match at the Shaw Park Sporting Complex yesterday.
Babwah scored an even 100 as T&T closed on a disappointing 221 for nine, giving the visitors the ascendancy, entering day two today.
Fast bowler Marlon Black is not out on five and Davindra Krishna is yet to score.
The Kenyans displayed a high level of discipline in the field and would have taken greater command of the game without Babwah and the in-form Dwayne Bravo, who fashioned a hard-fought 69 against the six-man pace and spin attack employed by Kenya's skipper Steve Tikolo.
Fast bowler Peter Ongondo with four for 36, and off-spinner Maurice Odumbe, three for 63, were the top wicket-takers for the Africans.
Babwah and Bravo featured in a face-saving fourth-wicket partnership of 142 in 160 minutes, after the homesters were precariously placed on 21 for three.
Earlier, the Imran Jan-led T&T team won the toss and opted for first strike, which gave opening batsman Earnil Ryan a quick batting appearance on his regional first-class debut.
It turned out to be disappointing for the right-handed batsman who was given out leg-before-wicket for two to Ongondo in the sixth over with the total on three.
And with the score unchanged, skipper Jan (0) offered pacer Martin Suji a simple return catch, which he gleefully accepted.
The left-handed Aneil Kanhai (14) and Bravo pushed the score to 21, before Kanhai played an atrocious shot and was bowled.
Bravo and Babwah started the repair job with responsible batting, mixing defence with aggression on a very slow outfield.
The duo progressed to lunch on 63 for three and on the resumption they continued with intelligent batting.
Babwah reached his fifty with a double off Odumbe to fine leg. It came 114 minutes, from 96 deliveries and contained eight fours.
The pair's century partnership came in 116 minutes.
Bravo also brought up his half-century with two runs to mid-on from medium pacer Francis Otieno's bowling. His landmark was achieved in 150 minutes off 102 balls and included three boundaries.
However, when T&T looked like taking command of the encounter, which was played in front of a reasonable crowd, Bravo was magnificently caught by Brijal Patel off Ongondo at mid-on for a well-played 69.
The talented youngster, considered to be on the fringe of West Indies senior team selection, batted for 180 minutes, faced 135 balls and struck six fours.
And with the score still on 163, Kenton Thompson (0) was the fifth Kenyan victim when he was caught at cover by Otieno off Ongondo's bowling.
It was Thompson's second dismissal without scoring in two first-class innings.
The local team went to tea on 165 for five with Babwah on 75 and Gibran Mohammed yet to score.
After the break, Babwah reached his hundred with a single off leg-spinner Collins Obuya to fine-leg. The landmark came in 257 minutes and 199 balls, laced with 11 fours and one six.
T&T batsmen, with poor shot selections, then slipped from 204 for five to 219 for nine.
Reyad Emrit was run-out without scoring and Mohammed (12), Babwah (100) and Amit Jaggernauth (12) all departed to soft dismissals against Odumbe.
A furious Omar Khan, manager of the local team, said it was a poor batting display barring the contributions of Babwah and Bravo.
Khan said that the batsmen failed to apply themselves and should have taken example from Babwah and Bravo.
"It was totally disappointing to see the soft dismissals by some of the front line batsmen. They will have to improve if they are to figure in contention for the championship," Khan said.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 1st innings
I. Jan c & b Suji 0
E. Ryan lbw Ongondo 2
A. Kanhai b Ongondo 14
D. Bravo c Patel b Ongondo 69
S. Babwah c Otieno b Odumbe 100
K. Thompson c Otieno b Ongondo 0
G. Mohammed c Ongondo b Odumbe 12
R. Emrit run-out 0
M. Black not out 5
A. Jaggernauth c Modi b Odumbe 12
D. Krishna not out 0
Extras: (b-2, nb-5) 7
Total: (for 9 wkts) 221
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-3, 3-21, 4-163, 5-163, 6-204, 7-205, 8-205, 9-219.