MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) were restricted to 191 for seven on yesterday’s shortened first day of the 2010 West Indies

Cricket Board’s four-day first-class tournament against Trinidad and Tobago at Jarrett Park.

After a one-hour late start, bad light prompted an early end with only 87 overs bowled when the CCC

batsmen accepted the offer of

bad light.

Sent in to bat on a damp pitch, the CCC batsmen with the exception of Omar Phillips, who hit a chance-filled 88, Romel Currency, who made 44, and Chadwick Walton, who was 25 not out — struggled against the Trinidadian spinners, who accounted for five of the seven wickets to falling.

The experienced Amit Jaggernauth led the way for Trinidad with three for 56 off 30 overs, while Imran Khan got two or 47 off 19, with opening bowlers Ravi Rampaul and Richard Kelly getting a wicket each.

The late start was due to excess moisture which left patches of damp spots on the wicket causing both captains, Daren Ganga of Trinidad and Tobago, and Floyd Reifer of CCC, some concern.

While being pleased with his team’s play, Ganga said early conditions weren’t that conducive for positive cricket. “We had a damp wicket at the start and a delayed start as well t was very fortunate winning the toss and inserting the opposition.”

While ruing five dropped catches and several mistakes in the field, Ganga said “…we let off a couple chances which could have left us in a stronger position, but nevertheless we are happy with this and, hopefully, the conditions will improve and would lend support to more positive cricket (Saturday)”.

He said this morning’s plan is to “shut them down as early as possible and go after the score”.

Reifer was not happy with being asked to bat first. “The wicket was too wet at the beginning for a first-class pitch, but all in all we batted well.”

He conceded: “We probably lost a few more wickets than we would have liked, but we have (Chadwick) Walton there and will look for about

230 runs.”

Meanwhile, play will start a half-hour earlier today, at 9:30 am.

Phillips’ knock highlighted the day with his 88 (10 fours) off 193 balls in 206 minutes to anchor the CCC’s innings and found a good partner in Currency as they put on 94 runs for the third wicket, coming together at 46 for 2.

Simon Jackson was the first to go after offering an easy catch to Dave Mohammed off Richard Kelly when he was on four and the score on 11.

Nekoli Parris was next to go just after the lunch break, the first of wicketkeeper Denish Ramdin’s three victims off Imran Khan for just nine.

Currency then joined Phillips and they went about repairing the breach, as batting got easier with the pitch drying out before Phillips offered a simple catch close in to Justin Guillen.

Phillips was dropped four times, the first by Lendl Simmonds in the slips off Kelly when he was on 14.

Trinidad made a big break through on the stroke of tea when captain Floyd Reifer, who had replaced Phillips six minutes earlier, was caught by Ramdin for four off Rampaul.

Walton, who came in at the fall of Reifer’s wicket, looked solid and hit a six in his unbeaten knock.