POINTE-A-PIERRE, Trinidad. Fast bowlers Patterson Thompson and Vasbert Drakes made Barbados' first day of their final President's Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago much happier than seemed likely in mid-afternoon.

Thompson and Drakes took one wicket each as Trinidad and Tobago, without Brian Lara, stuttered to 18 for two in reply to Barbados' first innings 285 at Guaracara Park yesterday.

Thompson trapped opener Suruj Ragoonath lbw for two in the second over of the innings while Drakes, in his first game of the season, bowled Anil Balliram for eight.

Barbados must win this match to retain a chance of retaining the West Indies championship as fellow challengers Leeward Islands, Jamaica and Guyana are all better placed in the hunt.

Sherwin Campbell topscored with 65 for Barbados but no other batsman reached 40, which translated to a respectable, but not big, total.

Leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine was Trinidad and Tobago's leading bowler with three for 65 off 24 overs while pacer Mervyn Dillon took three for 82 off 19 overs and off-spinner Persad bagged two for 28.

Barbados suffered an early setback after winning the toss when at 29, captain Philo Wallace was bowled by Dillon for six.

But Campbell, who raced to fifty with eight fours in 59 minutes off 46 balls, and left-hander Griffith featured in a second-wicket stand of 89 to put Barbados in comfortable position of 118 for two at the end of the morning session.

Campbell was out just before lunch in disappointing fashion when he hit across a full-length delivery and was bowled by Persad. His knock spanned 114 minutes and 80 balls and was laced with 11 fours and a five.

Resuming from 118 for two at lunch, Barbados lost Griffith, Floyd Reifer and Holder in the post-lunch session as Dillon led a fight back for Trinidad and Tobago.

After Ramnarine had Griffith caught behind by wicket-keeper David Williams, Dillon struck in the first over of a new spell, trapping Reifer leg before wicket.

The West Indies pacer then took the key wicket of Holder, who edged a catch to Williams.

Barbados went to tea at 183 for five and after the interval, Rollock and Hoyte featured in a sixth-wicket stand of 50 runs before Hoyte was trapped on the back foot by medium pacer Phil Simmons.

Day 2:

Barbados Slip Up On Cricket Field

POINTE-A-PIERRE Ð Barbados played yesterday like no-hopers rather than the champions of regional cricket that they are.

A poor display in the field allowed Trinidad and Tobago, who have no hope of winning the 1998 PresidentÕs Cup, to take a first innings lead and consign the Barbadians to fight from behind for the victory they desperately need to keep them in the title fight.

The Barbadians dropped at least five catches, including four relatively simple catches in the space of 15 dreadful minutes after lunch.

Trinidad and Tobago were indebted to teenager Darren Ganga, whose 138, his maiden first-class century, steered his side to 303 for seven at the close of the second day of the match at Guaracara Park. Barbados made 285 in their first innings.

Ganga, a promising West Indies youth batsman, started the day on four and batted responsibly, posting his century in 259 minutes off 224 balls with 17 fours.

He received support from captain Phil Simmons (47), with whom he featured in a 86-run fourth-wicket stand and Richard Smith (51), who helped him add 130 runs for the fifth wicket.

Ganga batted overall for five hours and 48 minutes, faced 286 balls and struck 21 fours before he fell just before the close to the second new ball, caught by Floyd Reifer off pacer Vasbert Drakes, who was BarbadosÕ leading bowler with three for 63.

After Trinidad had resumed at 18 for two, burly pacer Patterson Thompson removed night watchman Mukesh Persad to give Barbados early hope with the total on 33 for three but the home team rallied to 69 for three at lunch.

Trinidad and Tobago added 105 runs in the two-hour post-lunch session while losing the solitary wicket of Simmons as they progressed to 174 for four at tea.

It was in this period that BarbadosÕ out cricket was at its worst. Both Simmons and Ganga were let off twice.

After Simmons departed, Smith blossomed from a shaky start and with Ganga frustrated Barbados so much that they resorted to part-time off-spinner Reifer for three overs in an attempt to break the stand.

Day 4: BEATEN AT THE LAST:

Barbadians Lose Crown To Trinidad Despite Last-ditch Effort

PORT-OF-SPAIN Ð Barbados have been dethroned as West Indies cricket champions.

They lost all hope of retaining the title when Trinidad and Tobago beat them by one wicket in dramatic fashion on the final day of their final President's Cup cricket match at Guaracara Park yesterday.

The defeat left Barbados on 36 points, four behind Leeward Islands, Guyana and Jamaica who all have a game in hand.

Last-wicket pair Mukesh Persad (ten not out) and Dinanath Ramnarine (two not out) scampered two runs off seamer Hendy Bryan to push Trinidad and Tobago to a winning total of 208 for nine.

Bryan, who captured the wicket of No. 10 batsman Mervyn Dillon with two more runs needed, almost bowled Barbados to an unlikely victory with impressive figures of five wickets for 51 off 18.4 overs.

Trinidad and Tobago finished their campaign with 36 points, the same as Barbados.

Starting the day on three without loss in pursuit of 208 runs for victory, Trinidad and Tobago started well as openers Balliram and Suruj Ragoonath featured in a first-wicket stand of 49.

Barbados appeared frustrated when Ragoonath was given not out after a confident appeal was made for a leg-before-wicket decision off the bowling of fast bowler Vasbert Drakes.

But they were celebrating when Bryan struck twice in one over when he bowled Balliram and first innings century-maker Darren Ganga for a ``duck''.

Shortly afterwards, Bryan, in his first game of the season after returning home from a professional contract in South Africa, also had Ragoonath brilliantly caught by the diving Sherwin Campbell at short mid-wicket as Trinidad and Tobago slumped to 54 for three.

Philip Simmons and Richard Smith added 41 for the fourth wicket before left-arm spinner Winston Reid dismissed both batsmen to raise Barbados' victory hopes.

But Lincoln Roberts, who topscored with 40, and Williams regained the initiative for the home team with a 39-run sixth-wicket stand.

Just before the interval, there was another twist when Drakes bowled Williams, who had survived a number of leg-before-wicket appeals against him turned down.

Trinidad and Tobago went to tea at 163 for six, requiring a further 45 runs. Bryan captured a crucial fourth wicket after tea when he trapped Roberts leg-before-wicket.

Bishop was run out at 194 for eight and Dillon fell with two runs required, but Trinidad Tobago duly completed victory.