T&T and Windwards scrape home
Saturday, October 23 2004
Day Six
A wonderful day of cricket which featured two nail-biting finishes and impressive wins for Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands.
Windward Islands vs. Leeward Islands
Berbice, Guyana
Toss: Windward Islands
Memories still fresh of their batting-first collapse against Barbados the day before, the Windwards elected to field upon winning the toss. Very much in form, left-arm seamer Kenroy Peters (3/30) quickly took care of Alex Adams (5) and Austin Richards. Also on top of his game, Runako Morton (50) got to a half-century for the third time in four innings this season. He batted alongside Sylvester Joseph (29) in the Leewards' recovery.
Later in the innings there was need for another fightback after Orlanzo Jackson (2/57) and Liam Sebastien (2/43) accounted for a middle order collapse to 117/7. Amidst the tumble were the wickets of captain Stuart Williams (19) and top West Indies prospect Omari Banks (2). The multi-talented Wilden Cornwall (53) batted well with wicketkeeper Jerome Williams (35) and spinner Chaka Hodge (20 not out) and the Leewards finished at a respectable 228/9.
Starting well, the Windward Islands received a 66-run opening stand. Openers Devon Smith (49) and Junior Murray (27) played well, but the middle order could not support and Omari Banks took a couple of quick wickets to set the score back at 97/3. John Eugene (17) and Darren Sammy (19) both got starts but did not press on, and Roland Wilkinson ran himself out for 37.
The score read 178/8 and the tail was exposed. Alas, that tail helped win the game. Captain Rawl Lewis (31 not out) and Kenroy Peters (20) were involved in an invaluable and ultimately winning stand of 45 for the ninth wicket. Still, things were not exactly comfortable at the end. The equation came down to 5 runs need off the last 2 balls, then Lewis hit Adams for a straight six to seal the triumph.
Leeward Islands innings 228/9 (50 overs)
Wilden Cornwall 53, Runako Morton 50, Jerome Williams 35
Kenroy Peters 3/30 (10), Liam Sebastien 2/43 (9), Orlanzo Jackson 2/57 (7)
Windward Islands innings 230/9 (49.5 overs)
Devon Smith 49, Roland Wilkinson 37, Rawl Lewis 31 not out
Omari Banks 2/31 (10), Kerry Jeremy 2/61 (10)
Result: Windwards won by 1 wicket
Points: Win 4, Lee 0
Man of the Match: Kenroy Peters
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Trinidad and Tobago vs. Jamaica
Bourda, Guyana
Toss: Trinidad and Tobago
Already having taken care of Barbados on the opening day of the tournement, Trinidad and Tobago set off to try to complete another giant slaying with a very under-strength team. Needless to say, the optimism wained a bit as Chris Gayle (48; 65 balls) and Xavier Marshall (88; 136 balls) put on 100 for the first wicket for Jamaica.
However, Wavell Hinds (17) and Marlon Samuels (15) were the only batsmen to get going at all from there in. The Jamaican batsmen tumbled to the spin of Trinidad and Tobago, with offspinners Sherwin Ganga (3/39), Rodney Sooklal (2/33) and Imran Jan (2/24) sharing 7 wickets. Run outs of Gayle, Gareth Breese (2) and Dave Bernard Jr. (8) accounted for the other 3. No batsmen aside from the top four crossed 8 runs - 206 all out.
Set to chase a moderate total of 207 for victory, T&T lost Imran Jan (4) early. This brought the Ganga brothers together and things were looking comfortable when their partnership reached 52. It was then that Jamaica's unlikeliest bowling hero stepped up. Marlon Samuels dismissed Daren Ganga and Sherwin Ganga for 25 each and followed up with Ricardo Powell (1) and Jonathan Augustus (0) in an initial burst of 4/4.
Suddenly the score was 65/5. Later it was 86/6 at the fall of Badree (5) but Gregory Mahabir stood his ground. The left-handed batsmen, effectively a replacement for the injured Brian Lara, scored 46 and partnered young wicketkeeping prospect Dinesh Ramdin (21) for 43 runs. When Ramdin missed an attempted flick off Breese, Trinidad and Tobago looked too far out of victory reach to recover - 127/7.
Still, Mahabir did not give up and Richard Kelly started well in a 30-run eighth wicket stand. Then the big wicket of Mahabir was Gayle's. The score 157/8, Reyad Emrit came to the middle and joined Kelly. The young men stunned the Jamaican players and supporters with what followed. Showing the application of a top order batsman and the resolve of Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw, Kelly scored 39 not out and Emrit 26 not out. The partnership was unbeaten for 52 runs including 14 off a Breese over (47th) and a comfortable yet totally unexpected win ensued.
Jamaica innings 206 all out (46.2 overs)
Xavier Marshall 88, Chris Gayle 48
Sherwin Ganga 3/39 (10), Imran Jan 2/24 (5.2), Rodney Sooklal 2/33 (9)
Trinidad and Tobago innings 207/8 (49.1 overs)
Gregory Mahabir 46, Richard Kelly 39 not out, Reyad Emrit 26 not out
Marlon Samuels 4/21 (10), Gareth Breese 2/45 (10)
Result: Trinidad and Tobago won by 2 wickets
Points: T&T 4, Jam 0
Man of the Match: Sherwin Ganga
Posted by Liam