PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Evin Lewis’s fiery half-century coupled with Kevin O’Brien’s four-wicket haul fired Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel to their fourth win and third on the trot, as they beat Jamaica Tallawahs by 13 runs here yesterday.
Sent in at Queen’s Park Oval, Red Steel amassed 183 for five off their 20 overs with Lewis smashing an attractive 72 from 43 deliveries. O’Brien chipped in with 32, left-hander Darren Bravo got 30 while captain Dwayne Bravo scored 24.
Seamers Andre Russell (2-23) and Rusty Theron (2-34) picked up two wickets apiece.
In reply, Jamaica were held to 170 for six from their allotted overs despite captain Chris Gayle’s top score of 60 from 46 balls and Russell’s whirlwind unbeaten 40 from 17 balls.
Jermaine Blackwood scored a measured 28 from 26 balls.
Medium pacer O’Brien made the difference with his spell of four for 23 from three overs, removing both Gayle and Blackwood who posted 76 for the second wicket.
The defeat ended Tallawahs’ unbeaten run and sent Red Steel to the top of the standings with eight points.
Lewis was simply outstanding at the top of the order, counting two fours and eight sixes in an opening stand of 44 off 34 balls with O’Brien, who registered three fours and two sixes in a 21-ball knock.
The left-handed Lewis also added a further 87 for the third wicket with Darren Bravo after Red Steel lost O’Brien and then Ross Taylor without scoring in successive deliveries in the sixth over bowled by seamer Russell.
O’Brien smacked Theron for a six and a four in the fourth over that cost 14 runs before being yorked by Russell in the Jamaican’s first over. Taylor fell to the first ball he faced, driving loosely to Theron at mid-off at 45 for two.
Lewis than carried the Red Steel innings, counting two fours and a six off Gayle’s second over of off-spin that cost 16 runs and then tearing into the Jamaican again in next over with two successive sixes over long-off, as the over went for 17 runs.
Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori also came in for punishment, launched for three sixes by Lewis in the 14th over that leaked 19 runs. He eventually perished in the 15th over, taken in the deep by Adam Voges off Theron.
Darren Bravo, whose knock was run-a-ball, followed soon after in the 17th and Nicholas Pooran fell for one in the following over, but Dwayne Bravo ended the innings on a high with a four and two sixes off 18 balls.
Tallawahs then lost Chadwick Walton in the third over for eight with the score on 21 but Gayle and Blackwood stabilized the innings.
The left-handed Gayle hit five fours and three sixes, threatening to take Tallawahs to get another victory. However, he was one of three wickets to fall for three runs in ten balls, to leave the visitors languishing at 124 for five in the 17th over.
Russell lashed a four and five sixes to give Tallawahs hope but his charge came too little too late.
