PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Brandon King, Darren Bravo and Rovman Powell all starred as a Regional Invitational XI defeated a Trinidad and Tobago Red Force XI by 11 runs in a celebrity Hurricane Relief Twenty20 here Saturday night.
The encounter, staged at Queen’s Park Oval, brought together a plethora of regional and West Indies stars with the aim of raising TT$ one million (US$148 233) to support ongoing relief efforts in the Caribbean countries devastated last month by the passage of Hurricanes Irma Maria.
As such, while the result was of academic interest, several players grabbed the opportunity to entertain the sizeable crowd which turned up to support the venture.
Sent in, the Regional XI piled up an imposing 217 for eight off their 20 overs with Jamaican Brandon King lashing an imperious 62 off just 26 balls while West Indies all-rounder Rovman Powell pummelled 56 from 28 deliveries.
Windies T20 opener Johnson Charles hit 26 from 25 balls while Ashley Nurse came at the end to belt a 12-ball unbeaten 26.
The Regional XI were 67 for three in the ninth over when King, and then Powell, intervened to accelerate the innings. King crunched four fours and six massive sixes, putting on 58 for the fourth wicket with Powell before holing out at long off in the 14th over.
Powell then took over, smashing seven sixes to dominate a 50-run, fifth wicket partnership with captain Darren Sammy (4) before perishing in the 17th over – three balls after the former Windies skipper departed.
West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine picked up two for 23. In reply, the left-handed Bravo lit up the Oval with a sparkling 58 off 29 balls, with two fours and six sixes while Lendl Simmons struck 49 from 26 deliveries and fellow opener Tion Webster, 21 from 14 balls.
Simmons set the tone for the innings, blasting five fours and three sixes in a 71-run, opening stand with Webster.
When Simmons fell in the sixth over, Bravo put on 33 for the second wicket with Webster and a further 36 for the fifth wicket with older brother Dwayne Bravo (19).
Red Force seemed on course for victory at 158 for four in the 14th over but once Darren Bravo pulled medium pacer Dwayne Smith into the lap of Charles at deep mid-wicket, the last six wickets tumbled for 48 runs.
The match was an initiative of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board in partnership with the Sport Company of T&T, and Queen’s Park Cricket Club.
