TRINIDAD & Tobago pacer Marlon Richards snatched a maiden five-wicket haul, but a last-wicket stand of 103 runs between Carlton Baugh and Sheldon Cotterell carried Jamaica to 246 on the opening day of the Regional four-day semi-final match at Sabina Park

in Kingston.

Baugh, the out-of-favour West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman, struck his third half-century of the season and was left unbeaten on an attractive 88, while Cotterell batted with good composure in making 44.

At the close of play yesterday, Trinidad & Tobago were 17-1 after debutant opener Jeremy Solozano was run out by David Bernard for one.

The not out batsmen are opener Lendl Simmons and Yannic Cariah, who are nine and five, respectively.

Scores: Jamaica 246 (80.5 overs); Trinidad & Tobago 17-1 (7 overs).

Bizarrely, the start of play was pushed back by 30 minutes after a water seepage onto the batting pitch forced the umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Nigel Duguid to delay proceedings while the morning sunlight dried the wet areas.

It is reported that overnight “sweating” beneath the protective covers was the cause.

Jamaica won the toss and opted to bat, but the choice was made to look an unfavourable one when the hosts slumped to 49-4.

The impressive Richards, who bowled a 10-overs opening burst, exploited the morning moisture on the surface and terrorised the Jamaican top order on his way to finishing with 5-46 off 17 overs and two balls.

The relatively lengthy spell reaped rewards as the 24-year-old accounted for opener Brenton Parchment (5), number three batsman Nkrumah Bonner (3) and middle-order stroke player Andre McCarthy (1).

Richards, playing in his debut season of first-class cricket, got the ball to move away from the right-handers, while slipping in the odd in-ducking delivery, on a pitch that offered a fair contest between bat and ball.

Hyatt was the fourth man dismissed when he was trapped leg before wicket by wrist-spinner Imran Khan, but Jamaica fought back briefly with a 38-run stand between captain Tamar Lambert (38) and vice-skipper David Bernard (18).

Bernard was run out after being stopped mid-pitch by his partner attempting to complete an unlikely single, while Lambert, who played a few exquisite late-cut shots off both pace and spin bowling, was sent back in the following over after feathering a catch to Trinidad’s wicketkeeper and captain Denesh Ramdin off seamer Rayad Emrit with the score on 87-6.

Nikita Miller (21) was also run out when he and Baugh unwisely tried to steal a run at 130-7.

The left-handed Andrew Richardson was trapped lbw by Richards and the fast bowler got his fifth wicket of the innings when Odean Brown wafted at a short delivery, but only managed to edge to Ramdin to leave Jamaica reeling at 143-9.

Richards left the field soon after, suffering cramps to his right thigh, but the Jamaica Observer understands that he is expected to be fit enough to bowl in the second innings.

A counter-attacking partnership between the experienced Baugh and number 11 batsman Cotterell then ensued which left Ramdin and the rest of the T&T team flummoxed and frustrated.

The 30-year-old Baugh cut and drove in imperious fashion to the spinners and faster bowlers alike to notch 10 boundaries off 127 deliveries. It was the diminutive player’s 22nd first-class 50.

The powerfully-built Cotterell faced 66 balls in his knock which featured resolute defensive stroke play, mingled with clean attacking hits. He flayed three fours and two sixes.

Khan, who got appreciable turn on the first day wicket, supported Richards well and ended with 2-53.