Trinidad & Tobago defeated Guyana by four wickets at the Guyana National Stadium last evening to book a place in the final of the Regional Super50 tournament on Saturday.
Batsman Jason Mohammed led the way with an unbeaten 65 (4×4, 1×6) from 79 balls and shared in a 30-run partnership with Justin Guillen, who made 62. He also shared in 55 and 40-run partnerships with Reyad Emrit (17) and Kevon Cooper (17 not out) respectively as T&T reached 201-6 from 46.1 overs after Guyana had made 200-9.
Paul Wintz, was re-introduced into the attack with Trinidad needing 18 runs from 30 balls but Cooper and Mohammed took 14 off the over.
The first ball of Royston Crandon’s next over went for four to backward square, crowning a disastrous year for the senior national team.
When Guyana batted Leon Johnson scored 66 and Steven Jacobs contributed an invaluable 32 as the Guyanese seemed unable to reach 200. Emrit ended with four wickets for 39 runs from nine overs.
Guyana started in the mire, losing captain Assad Fudadin in the third over without scoring, before slipping to 49-3 in the 21st over. The scratchy batting continued when the T&T spinners Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree and Dave Mohammed were operating.
The batsmen’s inability to use their feet to the spinners contributed to the slow run-rate. However, Johnson and Jacobs fought and led the recovery for Guyana. The pair ran well between the wickets; picked up the singles and hit the occasional boundary.
Eventually, they brought their half century stance in 10 overs with Johnson approaching his second consecutive half century of the tournament on 47 while Jacobs was on 18. Shortly after the left handed Johnson brought up the milestone from 88 balls, which included four fours and two sixes, and the team’s 100.
Johnson was dropped on 57 by Jason Mohammed in front of square when the score was 118-3 in the 35th over. He only added nine more runs before he was dismissed, breaking a face-saving, fourth-wicket partnership of 81 as Guyana reached 130-4 in the 38th over.
Jacobs joined Johnson two overs and 12 runs later back in the pavilion. Some urgency stepped into Guyana’s innings despite the Trinidadian bowlers picking up crucial wickets at critical junctures. Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian, Royston Crandon and Jonathan Foo helped to push Guyana to the 200-run mark, a feat that seemed impossible when the team had been scoring at just above two runs per over earlier in the innings.
When the overs expired fast medium pacer Emrit was the principal wicket taker, garnering assistance from spinner Narine and Sherwin Ganga.
When T&T batted Jacobs had William Perkins lbw off the last ball of the first over before the visitors had a score on the tins. In the next 13 overs Guillen and Daren Ganga would consolidate putting on 47 before Jacobs struck again.
At the start of the 15th over T&T brought up their 50 when Guillen flicked Barnwell through midwicket before he followed up with a drive down the pitch two balls later. Guillen took on Barnwell again in his next over, driving him uppishly over cover and then back down the pitch.
In Royston Crandon’s introductory over he had Dwayne Bravo brilliantly caught at first slip by Travis Dowlin diving to his left. But Guillen duly brought up his 50, which included six fours, with a push in offside off Barnwell.
Crandon had Guillen caught at midwicket after facing 91 balls while Wintz chipped in with the wicket of Sherwin Ganga caught by Steven Latcha at mid on.
Mohammed and Emrit picked up the reins and were looking threatening. They eventually brought up the 50 partnership, with Mohammed dominating the innings with three fours.
With T&T needing 41 from nine overs Emrit was run out for 17 from 36, breaking a 55-run sixth wicket partnership. Mohammed brought up his 50 with a flick to midwicket for two off Johnson. That milestone came from 70 balls.
At this time with Trinidad needing less runs than there were balls the decision by Fudadin to introduce Johnson into the attack was a poor one. Runs leaked and the Trinidadians were cruising.
Scoreboard
Guyana innings
T. Griffith c. D. Mohamed b. Emrit 12
A. Fudadin c. Cooper b. Badree 00
L. Johnson c & b S. Ganga 66
T. Dowlin c. Bravo b. Narine 17
S. Jacobs c. J. Mohamed b. S. Ganga 32
C. Barnwell b. Emrit 21
R. Crandon c. Cooper b. Emrit 23
J. Foo lbw Narine 08
D. Christian d. Emrit 06
P. Wintz not out 03
S. Latcha not out 03
Extras: (w-5, lb-3, b-2) 10
Total: (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 200
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Fudadin), 2-22 (Griffith), 3-49 (Dowlin), 4-130 (Johnson), 5-142 (Jacobs), 6-176 (Barnwell), 7-183 (Crandon), 8-188 (Foo), 9-196 (Christian)
Bowling: S. Badree 11-2-28-1, R. Emrit 9-0-39-4, S. Narine 12-3-26-2, S. Ganga 11-0-48-2, (w-1), D. Mohamed 8-0-23-0 (w-4), D. Bravo 5-0-33-0
T&T innings (Target: 201 from 50 overs)
W. Perkins lbw Jacobs 00
J. Guillen c. Dowlin b. R. Crandon 63
D. Ganga b. Jacobs 08
D. Bravo c. Dowlin b. R. Crandon 08
J. Mohamed not out 65
S. Ganga c. Latcha b. Wintz 01
R. Emrit run out (Johnson) 17
K. Cooper not out 17
Extras (w-15, b-5, lb-2) 22
Total (for 6 wkts, 46.1 overs) 201
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Perkins), 2-47 (D. Ganga), 3-75 (Bravo), 4-105 (Guillen), 5-106 (S. Ganga), 6-161 (Emrit)
Bowling: S. Jacobs 12-1-20-2 (w-1), P. Wintz 8-1-35-1 (w-3), S. Latcha 4-0-28-0 (w-2), R. Crandon 11.1-0-42-2 (w-1), C. Barnwell 7-0-49-0 (w-4), L. Johnson 4-0-20-0
