PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Reigning champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force quickly bounced back from defeat with a dominant seven-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes.
Chasing only 190 at Queen’s Park Oval here Saturday, they made light work of the target, overhauling it in 43 overs with Test wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva top-scoring with 66.
Captain Nicholas Pooran (36 not out), opener Kjorn Ottley (36) and left-hander Darren Bravo (27 not out) all featured in vital to see Red Force to their second win, following their setback to Guyana Harpy Eagles earlier in the week.
Choosing to bat first in the Zone A encounter, the previously unbeaten Volcanoes stuttered and stumbled to 189 all out off 47 overs, Kavem Hodge (39), Tevyn Walcott (36) and Preston McSween (22) the only players to pass 20.
Leg-spinner Yannic Cariah led Red Force’s attack with three for 34 while Test fast bowler Shannon Gabriel (2-36) and fellow pacer Terrance Hinds (2-39) provided support. After centuries in his last two innings, left-hander Alick Athanaze finally tasted failure when he skied left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein to Ottley at mid-wicket in the third over, his partner Johnson Charles following for 16 in the eighth over, to leave Volcanoes on 21 for two.
Hodge, who faced 71 balls and struck four fours, then tried to stabilise the innings in two partnerships – adding 35 for the third wicket with Sunil Ambris (13) and 34 for the fifth wicket with Justin Greaves (19) – but Volcanoes still found themselves tottering on 143 for eight in the 38th.
McSween then belted three fours in a run-a-ball knock to help squeeze out precious runs at the end in two small partnerships. Da Silva, in his last innings before departing for the Test tour of Australia, found his touch as he struck half-dozen fours and a six off 88 balls in posting 69 for the first wicket with Ottley, 29 for the second with Jason Mohammed (20) and a further 43 for the third with Bravo.
He eventually departed at the end of the 33rd over, skying off-spinner Athanaze to cover point, but Pooran saw Red Force home in an unbroken 54-run, fourth wicket stand with Bravo, lashing a four and three sixes off just 31 balls.