Trinidad and Tobago failed in their bid for victory when Dale Richards hit his third first-class hundred to help Barbados earn a draw in the WICB regional four-day competition yesterday.

T&T, set Barbados 278 for victory and Richards made 113 to carry the hosts to 197 for four in their second innings before the two teams decided it was pointless to continue with five overs remaining on the fourth and final day of the first round match at the Police Sports Club.

Landmark

Richards reached his landmark when he drove off-spin bowler Sherwin Ganga through cover for a single, but he, as well as left-handers Ryan Hinds and Jonathan Carter were dismissed in the final hour and a half before the hosts gave up the chase.

Half-centuries from Adrian Barath and Lendl Simmons had lifted T&T to 212 for three in their second innings before the visitors declared about half-hour before lunch.

Barath hit the top score of 79 and Simmons supported with 74. They added 59 for the second wicket before Simmons and T&T captain Daren Ganga put on another 48 for the third wicket to hasten the declaration.

T&T were then put on the defensive after Barbados resumed from their lunchtime total of 10 without loss.

The visitors were put under pressure after the interval when Richards batted with his usual enterprise and shared 64 for the first wicket with left-hander opener Jason Haynes, the Barbados captain.

Breakthrough

But T&T made the breakthrough on the stroke of the drinks break when Haynes was caught at slip off Amit Jaggernauth from a sweep that ricocheted from the back of the bat. He faced 72 balls in 79 minutes for a painstaking eight.

T&T had two chances to remove Hinds before tea. When he was six, Richard Kelly put him down at slip off Dave Mohammed and when he was 13, Lendl Simmons dropped him at mid-on off Sherwin Ganga - a miss which many observers said might have cost the two-island republic's side the victory.