TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Barbados Pride expectedly cruised to an easy victory over Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, defeating them by seven wickets in their fifth round match in the Regional Four-Day Championships at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium here yesterday.
Having started the day in full control of the match by restricting the Red Force to 62 for six at the end of the second day’s play, the Pride skittled out the home side for just 103, with medium pacer Shamar Springer claiming three of the four wickets to fall.
Needing just 58 runs for victory after securing a 45-run first innings lead, the visitors then romped to an easy win, finishing on 58 for three in 17 overs.
With fast bowler Marquino Mindley having done the damage the previous evening by taking four quick wickets, Springer followed in his footsteps.
Red Force’s duo of Imran Khan and Odean Smith frustrated the opposition during a 52-run seventh wicket partnership to give their side a slim chance of posting a defendable total.
They came together with their side tottering on 46 for six and carried the score to 98 without much alarm as they mixed stout defense with occasional aggression,
But once Kevin Stoute, who ended the match with eight wickets, breached Khan’s defense to have him clean bowled for 25, the rest of the tail folded quickly.
Without another run being added Springer dismissed Smith for the topscore of 28 and followed that up with the wickets of Khary Pierre for a duck and Anderson Philip, who was bowled for two.
Springer ended with figures of 4 for 24, Mindley took four for 47 and Stoute snagged the other two wickets.
Defending a total of 57 was always going to be tough for the Red Force, but Philip came out firing on all cylinders, snagging the cheap wickets of Shayne Moseley for three and Aaron Jones for seven to leave the Pride 16 for two.