KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – All-rounder Imran Khan produced a valiant half-century as Trinidad and Tobago stunned five-time defending champions Jamaica by three wickets here yesterday to reach the final of the Regional Four-Day Championship.
Chasing only 179 for victory, Trinidad and Tobago resumed the final day of the topsy-turvy semi-final on 54 for two, but quickly plunged to 73 for six, giving Jamaica a vice grip on the Sabina Park duel.
However, Khan unveiled a splendid unbeaten, even fifty, and anchored two partnerships to wrest the advantage away from the pre-match favourites and carry the visitors to victory, 45 minutes before tea.
He put on 57 for the seventh wicket with Steven Katwaroo who hit 32 and then added a further 49 for the eighth wicket with Rayad Emrit who was unbeaten on 25 at the end.
Seamer David Bernard Jr was outstanding, finishing with six for 39 but Jamaica’s champion left-arm spinner Nikita Miller was a huge letdown, claiming a single wicket from his 18 overs.
The defeat was the first for the Jamaicans who swept every match in the preliminary round to finish top of the standings on 72 points.
For T&T, however, the victory represented a huge turnaround, after an up and down season saw them finish fourth in the standings on 36 points. They will now clash with Barbados in next week’s final.
Thoughts of the final were far from T&T’s minds when Bernard struck in the day’s first over, removing Yannick Cariah with the first ball for his overnight six and then prising out Akeal Hosein without scoring two balls later with no addition to the score.
Bernard then trapped Jason Mohammed lbw for seven at 59 for five and there was more turmoil when he bowled captain Denesh Ramdin for 11.
Languishing at 73 for six, Khan and Katwaroo then thwarted Jamaica’s victory push, taking T&T to lunch at 130 for no further loss.
In an unflappable innings, Khan struck five fours off 118 balls in 157 minutes at the crease while the 20-year-old Katwaroo, in only his third first class match, faced 104 balls in 145 minutes and counted two fours and a six.
Miller got the breakthrough first ball after lunch when he bowled Katwaroo but Khan found an ally in Emrit to launch yet another defiant effort.
Jamaica had two opportunities to break the stand but squandered both. At 153 for seven, captain Tamar Lambert put down Khan at first slip off Bernard with the batsman on 43 and seven runs later, Nkrumah Bonner spilled Emrit at midwicket with the batsman on 11.
Both chances proved costly as Emrit, who faced 50 deliveries in just over an hour at the crease, kept his cool to see T&T home.
Scoreboard
JAMAICA 1st Innings 246
T&T 1st Innings 170
JAMAICA 2nd Innings 102
T&T 2nd Innnings (target: 179 runs)
(overnight 54 for two)
L Simmons lbw b Bernard 31
J Solozano c wkp Parchment b Bernard 4
Y Cariah c wkp Baugh b Bernard 6
+S Katwaroo b Miller 32
J Mohammed lbw b Bernard 7
*D Ramdin b Bernard 11
A Hosein c wkp Baugh b Bernard 0
I Khan not out 50
R Emrit not out 25
Extras (b8, lb5) 13
TOTAL (7 wkts, 65.2 overs) 179
Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-43, 3-54, 4-54, 5-59, 6-73, 7-130.
Bowling: Richardson 6-0-24-0, Cotterell 6-2-21-0, Bernard 17.2-1-39-6, Brown 13-4-40-0, Miller 18-4-31-1, Lambert 5-3-11-0.
Result: T&T won by three wickets.
Series: Qualifies for Regional Four-Day final.
Toss: Jamaica.
NB — Brenton Parchment substituted as wicketkeeper in the final session of the third day’s play.
Umpires: G Brathwaite, N Duguid.
