and after two run outs and three wickets from Imtiaz Ali and Raphick Jumadeen the Combined Islands were 276 for 9. Captain Findlay and number 11 Hugh Gore added six for the final wicket before time ran out - thus, the scores were tied at the end of the match, the match was drawn since the Islands had not lost the final wicket (in which case it would have been a tie) and the Shell Shield title went to Guyana instead of the islands. The next season saw them fall back to fourth place, however, with none of the four matches seeing more than 325 overs of play in four days as the Combined Islands drew all four games – with two ending before the first innings were completed. Irvine Shillingford still managed to hit 257 runs in his three innings, averaging 85.66 with the bat. 1976–77 saw improvement in the table again, as they once again fought for the title – they were tied with Barbados on points before the very last game, but after conceding four 50+ scores –including 113 from David Murray - and a total of 511, the team surrendered a first-innings deficit of 276 despite 124 from Richards, and though Allen made 101 in the second innings and Philip took three for 15 to boost his seasonal wicket-tally to 20, Barbados made it to the target of 53 with six wickets to spare. Thus the Islands finished second in the table, tied with Trinidad and Tobago. The Combined Islands finished second for the third time in four seasons in 1977-78, but this time they were in last place before the final round, when they beat Trinidad and Tobago by seven wickets to avoid the last place and propel themselves up the table to a shared second place with Jamaica. All-rounder Norbert Philip took more than 20 wickets for the second year running, and also hit 240 runs, while off spinner Derick Parry took a team record seven for 100 in the first innings of a drawn game against champions Barbados. The following season, the Combined Islands were once again on the heels of Barbados, trailing by two points before the final game in Trinidad. Despite a 109-run lead after four half-centuries and six for 90 from Parry, Combined Islands were bowled out for 181 in the second innings, and David Murray put on 27 with