Trinidad and Tobago Red Force yesterday secured a resounding victory over the Guyana Harpy Eagles in the Regional Super50 tournament, and at the center of it all was Yannic Cariah’s remarkable all-round performance.
Red Force claimed a commanding 114-run win at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, and it was Cariah who shone on both fronts to help his team soar to victory.
The host team, Red Force, was asked to bat first and they didn’t disappoint, posting a formidable total of 290 for eight from their allotted 50 overs. Eagles could only respond with 176 all out in 33.3 overs.
Red Force’s innings was highlighted by Cariah, who ended the innings unbeaten on 71 runs, marking his third List A half-century. Cariah’s innings included two towering sixes and seven well-timed boundaries. He wasn’t alone in his efforts, with notable contributions from his teammates.
Jason Mohamed played a significant role, chipping in with 26 runs from 34 balls, while Kjorn Ottley continued his rich vein of form with 52 runs from 57 balls. Ottley’s aggressive innings featured six fours and a big six. Evin Lewis and Joshua Da Silva also played their parts, adding 64 runs for the second wicket. Furthermore, Darren Bravo showcased his class, notching his 41st List A half-century, scoring 51 from 60 balls.
Cariah’s partnership with Bravo resulted in a 58-run stand for the fourth wicket. Romario Shepherd (2-43), Sherfane Rutherford (2-55), and Veerasammy Permaul (2-57) got among the wickets for Eagles.
In the chase, the Eagles faced an uphill battle, with Cariah leading the charge with the ball this time. The leg-spinner’s magical performance saw him claim his best bowling figures in List A cricket, picking up five crucial wickets for just 34 runs. Among his victims was the top scorer for the Eagles, Sherfane Rutherford, who managed to score 30 runs from 28 balls and briefly offered hope for his team and Kevin Sinclair who made 20 before being trapped leg before wicket.
While several Eagles’ batsmen managed to get starts, none were able to convert them into substantial innings. Tevin Imlach contributed 26 and Shimron Hetmyer added 24 while Chandrapaul Hemraj made 21. Tagenarine Chanderpaul made 19 runs and looked set for a big score after hitting Shannon Gabriel for three consecutive boundaries only to be dismissed in the following over.
