HYDERABAD, India, CMC – Teenager Adrian Barath cracked a marvellous half-century on debut as sensational Trinidad and Tobago thumped the Eagles by 24 runs and stormed into the Champions League Twenty20 semis as the top League A team.
Electing to bat at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, T&T battered the South African club’s bowling to post a massive tournament record 213 for four off 20 overs and restricted the Eagles to 189 for five to clinch group honours in the Super 8 phase.
“To score 200 runs was a great effort. We are now looking forward to the semis,” winning captain Daren Ganga said after the match.
T&T’s topped League A of the second-round phase with six points and will remain in Hyderabad to tackle either Victoria or Cape Cobras in the semis.
Labelled the most “exciting” team in the US$6 million tournament, T&T advertised impressive depth in their squad as first-timers Adrian Barath and Navin Stewart were among the key players igniting the Caribbean T20 champions’ blistering innings.
In for the “slightly” injured Darren Bravo, the teenager Barath top-scored with a classy 63 and Stewart grabbed his opportunity as replacement for Samuel Badree by smacking an entertaining 33 off just 11 balls.
Man of the match Barath and William Perkins posted a solid 66 for the first wicket at a run-rate near 10 per over.
Perkins fell first for 35 off 25 balls with three sixes and three fours.
Lendl Simmons and Barath linked up for a blazing 76-run second-wicket stand that ended when pacer Ryan McLaren bowled Simmons for 40, the young right hander smashing six fours and one six in a 25-ball innings.
The 19-year-old Barath cracked four fours and four sixes in his 63 off 41 balls.
Kieron Pollard, whose thunderous half-century on Friday had lifted T&T to their magnificent win over New South Wales, was typically aggressive with 23 off 13 balls.
Stewart, who hit three fours and three sixes in an 11-ball 33, spectacularly brought up the 200-mark with a maximum hit over long-on en-route to the tournament’s best total.
Needing to win and by a huge margin to claim a place – ahead of New South Wales – in the semi-finals, Eagles played positively and actually brought up the fastest hundred in the tournament so, reaching triple figures in just 9.2 overs.
The 20-year-old left-hander Rilee Rossouw top-scored with a brisk 44 off 19 balls, while Dillon du Preez (35) and Boeta Dippenaar (33) also played positively but the brave effort dissipated in the late overs and T&T, who arrived here as underdogs, stretched their remarkable record to 4-0.
Losing captain Dippenaar praised T&T and labelled them favourites now for the US$2.5 million first prize.
“It doesn’t make my job easier as captain when the balls are flying around like that. T&T are the favourites in this competition now,” Dippenaar said
