Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago sent the Windward Islands crashing out of this year’s KFC Cup competition with a comfortable seven-wicket win at the GCC ground, Bourda, yesterday.
Architects of the T&T victory were Windies quickie, Ravi Rampaul, who grabbed 4-26 from eight overs and opener Lendl Simmons, who hit an aggressive 68 off 60 balls.
It was another fine day for cricket, with the Bourda sward bathed in dazzling sunshine and looking like the `Old Bourda’ older cricket fans know so well. Windwards captain Rawl Lewis called correctly and elected to take first strike on a track that provided some life for the quicker bowlers. It was a decision he probably regretted. Rampaul, in a fiery opening spell, sliced through the Windwards’ upper order, accounting for Devon Smith, [10]; Andre Fletcher, [12]; Heron Campbell [0]; and Donwell Hector[8].
All-rounder Darren Sammy briefly halted the slide with a fighting 34 [5x4s, 70 balls],but after he departed to a spectacular, one-handed catch by a diving Mervyn Dillon at third man, the writing was on the wall for the Windwards. It took a brief rear-guard action from Shane Shillingford, 22 not out [2x4s] and Lindon James [9], to see them to 142 off 45.5 overs.
In their turn at the crease, T&T were pegged back in the first over when Sherwin Ganga, beaten for pace, was comprehensively bowled without scoring by the impressive, young tear-away, Nelon Pascal. Simmons was joined by skipper Daren Ganga and they counter-attacked, unsettling the inexperienced Pascal who maintained pace, but not accuracy. He was eventually pulled out of the attack after conceding 30 runs from 2 overs.
Ganga and Simmons posted 50 in 38 minutes from 9.2 overs, but both batsmen had their share of luck, being let off by Sammy and Lewis, both of whom put down return catches.
Driving and pulling with authority, and using the sweep shot off leg-spinner Lewis to good effect, Simmons reached his 50 in 49 minutes off 46 balls, with seven fours and one six. After they had put on 80 for the second wicket, Ganga fell to a good catch in the covers by Matthews off Lewis for 24, which included three fours.
Dwayne Bravo then teamed up with Simmons, who eventually went for 68, LBW to Matthews with the score at 105. He struck nine fours and two sixes in 63 minutes. The big-hiting Keiron Pollard joined Bravo, who by then was reeling off some of his trademark shots, and was not out 31[6x4s] when the target was achieved in the 20th over. T&T closed at 142-3 and Pollard was 11 not out.
