LUCAS STREET, Barbados, CMC – West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine once again stamped his class on the Regional Super50, producing yet another magical spell to fire Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to their second straight win of the limited overs championship here yesterday.
Defending a competitive 283 at Windward Cricket Club, Red Force dismissed English county Hampshire for 208 with four overs remaining, to seal an easy 75-run victory.
The 29-year-old Narine was once again at the forefront of Red Force’s success, picking up three for 22 in a 10-over spell, to help undermine the Hampshire innings and carry his tally to 10 wickets in three matches.
Thomas Alsop top-scored with 49, captain James Adams gathered 44 while Bradley Taylor hit an unbeaten 35 but Hampshire collapsed from a strong position of 131 for two in the 29th over – losing their last eight wickets for just 77 runs.
Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre supported with three for 43 while leg-spinner Imran Khan claimed two for 42. West Indies vice-captain, Jason Mohammed, struck 62 to lead Red Force to 283 for eight off their 50 overs, while his international teammate Evin Lewis stroked 51 and Amir Jangoo, 49.
Tion Webster chipped in with 27 and Nicholas Pooran, 26.
Sent in at the quaint ground in the rural east of the country, Red Force were driven mainly by three key partnerships.
Lewis, coming off a half-century in the last game against CCC Marooners, again looked in great touch as he stroked six fours and a six in a 50-ball knock.
Crucially, he put on 66 off 60 balls for the first wicket with Tion Webster who struck 27 from 29 deliveries with five fours.
When both fell within 20 runs and 33 balls of each other, Mohammed and Jangoo combined to pull their side around from 82 for two in the 16th over with a 95-run, third wicket stand.Mohammed struck a pair of fours and sixes in an 82-ball innings while the left-handed Jangoo counted three fours off 61 balls.
Hampshire struck back when they claimed three wickets for 32 runs to reduce Red Force to 213 for five in the 41st over. In need of a partnership, Red Force got it through Pooran and Roshon Primus (22) both of whom produced breezy knocks to add a precious 47 off 34 deliveries for the sixth wicket. Seamer Bradley Wheal claimed three for 42 while former West Indies and Barbados speedster Fidel Edwards picked up two for 62. Hampshire then made a strong start to their run chase with Alsop posting 43 for the first wicket with Calvin Dickinson (21) and a further 65 for the second wicket with Adams.
Even when Alsop fell, bowled by pacer Webster in the 24th over, Adams and Joe Weatherley (12) looked to be rebuilding when they staged a 23-run third wicket stand.
But Imran Khan bowled Weatherley in the 29th over and Narine had Sean Ervine stumped in the following over without scoring, sparking a dramatic slide which saw five wickets tumble for 18 runs.
Rocking on 149 for seven in the 37th over, Hampshire were saved from implosion by a 41-run eighth wicket stand between Taylor and Chris Wood (15), who propped up the innings until Pierre arrived to wipe out the tail.
