A man of the match performance from all rounder Kieron Pollard (76 and 3-38), steered Trinidad and Tobago to a three-wicket victory over Jamaica in the first semi final of the 2008 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup tournament at the Guyana National Stadium last night.
Jamaica won the toss and opting to take first strike in the day/night fixture, scored 197-8 from their 50 overs.
They were led by an inspirational 55 from skipper Tamar Lambert while David Bernard (31) and opener Brenton Parchment (23) offered valuable support against the bowling of Pollard and Rishi Baichan (2-34).
In reply, Trinidad and Tobago recovered from the shaky position of 7-2 in the second over, to score 200-7 from 47 overs, thanks to a pugnacious and entertaining 76 from Pollard.
When Jamaica batted, they lost Horace Miller (04) and Parchment, who struck three fours off the bowling of Ravi Rampaul and Samuel Badree (1-27) respectively, to be 47-2 at the end of the 12th over.
But that was where Lambert, who struck seven fours in his innings, and Bernard came together. They added 34 valuable runs for the third wicket before the latter was caught and bowled by Rayad Emrit (1-28), after hitting the previous delivery forward of square for four to push the score to 81-3 in the 20th over.
Danza Hyatt (19) joined his skipper, but he did not last long, as he needlessly held out to substitute Richard Kelly on the long on boundary off Pollard.
But Lambert found a useful partner in Lorenzo Ingram (19) with whom he added 55 runs for the fifth wicket, as they patiently took the fight back to the Trinidadians, who won the title early last year, when they defeated the Windward islands in the final in St.Vincent, before losing same later in the year to the Jamaicans under the lights at the 3 W’s Oval, Barbados.
Lambert struck Sherwin Ganga between gully and point for four, followed by an elegant front foot drive through the same area off Pollard which brought up the defending champion’s 100 in the 32nd over. When Rampaul over pitched on his legs, he tickled it to fine leg for a boundary, as he fought gallantly to bring his team back into the game in partnership with Ingram.
But just when things were looking solid for Jamaica, they lost Ingram, who was caught by wicketkeeper Gibran Mohammed off the left-arm, orthodox spin of Baichan. He was quickly followed by Lambert after posting his half century from the 74th ball he faced, whilst striking four boundaries in the process.
But like Bernard before him, Lambert struck Pollard through midwicket for four, before he was caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Emrit in the 47th over with the score on 172-6.
They added 26 more runs for the further loss of two wickets, with wicketkeeper/batsman Keith Hibbert (12*) hitting Baichan back over his head for six in the final three overs, which was a healthy recovery after being 94-4 from their first 30 overs.
When Trinidad began their reply, looking for a place in the final which will be played at the same venue and under the lights tomorrow, they lost West Indies under-19 opener Adrian Barath (00) and Darren Ganga (00) both via the lbw route to Bernard Jnr. off successive deliveries, to be shakily placed on 7-2 in the second over.
West Indies under-19 middle order batsman Darren Bravo (41) avoided the hat trick with a magnificent on drive to midwicket for three, followed by two more on-drives off the same bowler in his next over. To show the Jamaicans that he is a capable player of the shot, Bravo, who is the younger brother of West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, on drove Andrew Richardson twice through mid wicket, followed by a flick off the legs for boundaries as Trinidad reached 37-2 after seven overs.
He settled down for a while, as he looked set to reach his maiden half century at this level, but the Jamaicans had other ideas and spinner Bevon Browne (1-30) dislodge his middle stump for 41, made from 50 deliveries and including six fours, with Trinidad and Tobago on 61-3.
It soon became 84-4, when Mohammed (14) who was given a life by Gavin Wallace (1-29) off his own bowling when on 11 and Trinidad 77-3 in the 22nd over, added insult to injury by hitting Yannick Elliot (1-29) back over his head for six, before he was caught by Richardson on the long on boundary off Elliot in the 25th over.
All the while, Simmons (24) continued to soldier on with Pollard adding 20 runs for the fifth wicket before he was caught by substitute Andre Russell off Wallace, but it only brought Pollard and Sherwin Ganga together.
At this point Pollard began to open an assault on the defending champions bowling.
Ingram was dispatched for 6, 4, 6 over and through midwicket respectively off successive deliveries, whilst Wallace was driven all along the ground as Trinidad reached 148-5 in the 38th over. He was given a life by the hapless looking Ingram at point off Wallace when on 50, with his team 156-5 in the 45th over.
He proceeded to hit both Browne and Richardson for maximums, with the latter bringing up his 50 and when Lambert introduced himself into the attack, he too was sent crashing over wide long on for six by Pollard who was adjudged lbw next delivery for a pugnacious 76 (6×6; 3×4).
Ganga was then bowled by Parchment for 19 in the next over, but Emrit (5*) and Badree ensured that Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the final which will be played at the same venue tomorrow against either Barbados or the Leeward Islands who will be contesting the second semi final today from 1330hrs.
Bowling for Jamaica, Bernard ended with 2-19 whilst there was a wicket each for Lambert, Parchment, Elliot, Browne and Wallace.