West Indies Domestic Cricket

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Trinidad and Tobago decidedly crap with Daren Ganga scoring 37 out of 88 all out. The target was 175 after the Windwards made just 118 in their second innings (5 wickets to Dave Mohammed, 3 to Amit Jaggernauth). It may seem so, but the pitch was great for batting. There was a bit of turn, but almost every batsman (bar Ramdin, who was run out without facing a ball) in the second innings gave away his wicket. T&T, the team that entered this second-to-last round tied atop the standings, proved to be spineless and totally out of character. It seemed more like the T&T of old than that of 2006.

Basically, this game between the Windwards and T&T showed exactly why West Indies cricket is where it is. T&T dropped 15 catches in the game. The batting was senseless, lacking commitment and generally deplorable - from both sides. Indeed, the only bright spot out of this game is that both teams bowled really well. Dave Mohammed was superb and looked a matchwinning spinner for the first time in a very long time.

Not to be forgotten, Rawl Nicholas Lewis got 'er done. Lewis has caused me to believe that he could possibly lower his Test bowling average in New Zealand. He bowled with enthusiasm, bounce and turn (!!!) that I thought was beyond his capabilities. I'd heard people suggest that he's a new player over the last couple of seasons, but I hadn't actually seen him bowl until this match. On the evidence of that, I'm starting to think that maybe he does deserve a second chance...

 

[aussie]

Not to be forgotten, Rawl Nicholas Lewis got 'er done. Lewis has caused me to believe that he could possibly lower his Test bowling average in New Zealand. He bowled with enthusiasm, bounce and turn (!!!) that I thought was beyond his capabilities. I'd heard people suggest that he's a new player over the last couple of seasons, but I hadn't actually seen him bowl until this match. On the evidence of that, I'm starting to think that maybe he does deserve a second chance...

hmm, interesting..

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados

T&T entered this game needing to take full points from Barbados to take the title.

Trinidad and Tobago 1st 259 - collapsed from 172/3

Lendl Simmons 58
Brian Lara 54 (75 balls - 7 fours, 1 six) - apparently a controversial dismissal...
Denesh Ramdin 51
Daren Ganga 33
Reyad Emrit 28
Dwayne Bravo 4 - yet to break double figures this season...

Fidel Edwards 3/87
Ryan Hinds 2/17
Ryan Austin 2/41
Ian Bradshaw 2/52

Barbados 1st 15/4 - could've been 5 down, except Simmons dropped Reifer first ball

Ryan Hinds 0 - after scoring 150+ in his last 2 innings...

Mervyn Dillon 2/6 - back in the side and devastating impact
Richard Kelly 1/9

 

[Tim]

So Liam, do you reckon the players picked for the NZ tour are hitting their straps or is there a bit of concern?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

2005/2006 Carib Cup Averages (before matches in progress)

Shivnarine Chanderpaul - 324 runs @ 108
Ramnaresh Sarwan - 219 runs @ 43.80; 2 wickets @ 35.50
Chris Gayle - 41 runs @ 20.50; 2 wickets @ 20.50
Devon Smith - 129 runs @ 32.25
Wavell Hinds - 232 runs @ 38.66
Daren Ganga - 266 runs @ 44.33
Brian Lara - 153 runs @ 153
Runako Morton - 219 runs @ 31.28
Dwayne Bravo - 16 runs @ 3.20; 4 wickets @ 42
Dwayne Smith - 192 runs @ 38.40; 3 wickets @ 33.33
Denesh Ramdin - 212 runs @ 53.00
Rawl Lewis - 72 runs @ 14.40; 21 wickets @ 16.19
Ian Bradshaw - 82 runs @ 16.40; 20 wickets @ 15.40
Jerome Taylor - 12 wickets @ 29.00
Fidel Edwards - 10 wickets @ 20.50
Daren Powell - 6 wickets @ 15.16
Deighton Butler - 56 runs @ 28; 9 wickets @ 25.88

Bravo has been in shocking form lately, getting some really soft dismissals. Lara, Ramdin, Ganga, Chanderpaul and Sarwan look confident though. Among the bowlers, Fidel Edwards has found a little form, though he's also been hit about a fair bit in between. Powell and Bradshaw seem to have some good rhythm going, and Butler bowled steadily over the weekend.

I don't think Jerome Taylor is match fit enough for Test cricket.

Rawl Lewis really impressed me over the weekend. I was a big critic of his, but he bowled superbly against T&T. Got Ganga and Bravo with a couple of big turners. Devon Smith looked pretty organized on the weekend, but could use a big score. Wavell Hinds has been fighting for his runs, but is slowly grinding himself back into form. He's been a rare light in the darkness that is Jamaican cricket this season. Chris Gayle has played 2 innings since returning from surgery. He needs some time in the middle.

Dwayne Smith is still a dirty slogger.

 

[roseboy64]

Coach of the the Jamaican team just resigned yesterday. Think frustration is the word he would use to describe his resignation. Can't blame him. Also, sense some captaincy issues. The stand in captain Tamar Lambert has a better record than him yet Hinds gets the captaincy every game. Notably, last season Lambert led the team to five consecutive wins. HInds took over and won only 2. This season Lambert led the team to a win and a draw I think. Hinds took over and the team didn't win a match. Food for thought?Hmmm......

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Coach of the the Jamaican team just resigned yesterday. Think frustration is the word he would use to describe his resignation. Can't blame him. Also, sense some captaincy issues. The stand in captain Tamar Lambert has a better record than him yet Hinds gets the captaincy every game. Notably, last season Lambert led the team to five consecutive wins. HInds took over and won only 2. This season Lambert led the team to a win and a draw I think. Hinds took over and the team didn't win a match. Food for thought?Hmmm......

The captaincy isn't the problem. The crap batting is the problem. I've seen the way that the Jamaican batsmen have been giving away their wickets, and that's not a captaincy problem. Hinds is one of the few batsmen showing any application at the moment. The same thing happened to Barbados last season.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados

T&T entered this game needing to take full points from Barbados to take the title.

Trinidad and Tobago 1st 259

Lendl Simmons 58
Brian Lara 54 (75 balls - 7 fours, 1 six) - apparently a controversial dismissal...
Denesh Ramdin 51
Daren Ganga 33
Reyad Emrit 28
Dwayne Bravo 4 - yet to break double figures this season...

Fidel Edwards 3/87
Ryan Hinds 2/17
Ryan Austin 2/41
Ian Bradshaw 2/52

Barbados 1st 167

Ryan Austin 46
Floyd Reifer 42

Mervyn Dillon 3/29
Richard Kelly 2/23
Dave Mohammed 2/33
Dwayne Bravo 2/44

Lara left the field with an injury to his left thumb. Not sure how serious is it.

Trinidad and Tobago 2nd 145/1

Lendl Simmons 73 not out
Dwayne Bravo 50 (44 balls; 8 fours) - opened the batting; first double figures score since Aus
Daren Ganga 16 not out

Ryan Austin 1/45

Two days left in this one. T&T looking good. Fingers crossed that we don't choke again.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Windward Islands vs Guyana

Windwards 1st 189

Liam Sebastien 63
Junior Murray 34
Craig Emmanuel 32
Devon Smith 5
Rawl Lewis 1

Mahendra Nagamootoo 5/48
Rayon Griffith 2/16
Narsingh Deonarine 2/20

Guyana 1st 245/8

Ramnaresh Sarwan 104 not out - captaining side in absence of Chanderpaul
Rayon Griffith 36
Narsingh Deonarine 30

Kenroy Peters 3/43
Rawl Lewis 3/63 - opening the bowling
Deighton Butler 0/32

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Windward Islands vs Guyana

Windwards 1st 189

Liam Sebastien 63
Junior Murray 34
Craig Emmanuel 32
Devon Smith 5
Rawl Lewis 1

Mahendra Nagamootoo 5/48
Rayon Griffith 2/16
Narsingh Deonarine 2/20

Guyana 1st 276

Ramnaresh Sarwan 108
Rayon Griffith 36
Narsingh Deonarine 30

Kenroy Peters 4/43
Rawl Lewis 3/81
Deighton Butler 0/32

Windwards 2nd 283/5

Devon Smith 63
Hyron Shallow 53
Junior Murray 39 not out
Darren Sammy 34

Mahendra Nagamootoo 2/71

Match Drawn.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados

T&T entered this game needing to take full points from Barbados to take the title.

Trinidad and Tobago 1st 259

Lendl Simmons 58
Brian Lara 54 (75 balls - 7 fours, 1 six) - apparently a controversial dismissal...
Denesh Ramdin 51
Daren Ganga 33
Reyad Emrit 28
Dwayne Bravo 4 - yet to break double figures this season...

Fidel Edwards 3/87
Ryan Hinds 2/17
Ryan Austin 2/41
Ian Bradshaw 2/52

Barbados 1st 167

Ryan Austin 46
Floyd Reifer 42

Mervyn Dillon 3/29
Richard Kelly 2/23
Dave Mohammed 2/33
Dwayne Bravo 2/44

Lara left the field with an injury to his left thumb. Not sure how serious is it.

Trinidad and Tobago 2nd 319

Lendl Simmons 115
Daren Ganga 59 retired hurt - no severe injury though
Dwayne Bravo 50 (44 balls; 8 fours)
Brian Lara 47 (31 balls)

Fidel Edwards 4/56 - Lara dealt harshly with him initially though... the commentator asked Lara after the match, "you were responsible for bringing Edwards into West Indies cricket; were you trying to take him out?"
Ryan Austin 3/64

Barbados 2nd 147

Ryan Hinds 32
Wayne Blackman 25
Ian Bradshaw 24 not out

Mervyn Dillon 5/36 - bowled superbly from all accounts; several people were saying he looked like the Dillon of old. He was dropped at the start of the season and recalled for this match. It seems to have done him well. Who knows...
Dave Mohammed 3/45

Trinidad and Tobago win the regional 4D title for the first time in 21 years. 264 runs is the heaviest defeat in Bajan history. Merv Dillon was MoM.

 

[superkingdave]

go T&T and Dave, was he named MVP for the series?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Still the semi-finals and final to play for the Shield, so I think the MoS will be named after those.

Leading wicket-takers this season:

Dave Mohammed 28 wickets (5 games) @ 16.17 - left chinaman
Rawl Lewis 24 wickets (4 games) @ 17.54 - legspin
Ryan Austin 21 wickets (4 games) @ 19.86 - offspin
Ian Bradshaw 22 wickets (5 games) @ 18.59 - left medium
Gareth Breese 20 wickets (5 games) @ 24.25 - offspin
Mahendra Nagamootoo 19 wickets (5 games) @ 28.94 - leg"spin"
Omari Banks 18 wickets (4 games) @ 33.72 - offspin
Fidel Edwards 17 wickets (3 games) @ 20.47 - fast
Andrew Richardson 13 wickets (4 games) @ 20.92 - fast
Reon King 13 wickets (5 games) @ 26.92 - fast medium

Interestingly, 7 of the top 8 wicket-takers are spin bowlers.

 

[steds]

Leading wicket-takers this season:

Dave Mohammed 28 wickets (5 games) @ 16.17 - left chinaman
Rawl Lewis 24 wickets (4 games) @ 17.54 - legspin
Ryan Austin 21 wickets (4 games) @ 19.86 - offspin
Ian Bradshaw 22 wickets (5 games) @ 18.59 - left medium
Gareth Breese 20 wickets (5 games) @ 24.25 - offspin
Mahendra Nagamootoo 19 wickets (5 games) @ 28.94 - leg"spin"
Omari Banks 18 wickets (4 games) @ 33.72 - offspin
Fidel Edwards 17 wickets (3 games) @ 20.47 - fast
Andrew Richardson 13 wickets (4 games) @ 20.92 - fast
Reon King 13 wickets (5 games) @ 26.92 - fast medium

Interestingly, 7 of the top 8 wicket-takers are spin bowlers.

6 of the top 7,actually, unless you've missed someone out.
More proof that Dave Mohammed > every other spinner in the world. As if it was needed, though.

 

[honestbharani]

I am hoping for a few Lara specials against NZ.

 

[Tim]

I think they'll need him to...

 

[roseboy64]

The captaincy isn't the problem. The crap batting is the problem. I've seen the way that the Jamaican batsmen have been giving away their wickets, and that's not a captaincy problem. Hinds is one of the few batsmen showing any application at the moment. The same thing happened to Barbados last season.

I know but I think there's a captaincy issue as well.

 

[steds]

Possibility of three Mohammeds in T&T's team to play the semi.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Possibility of three Mohammeds in T&T's team to play the semi.

It says something that the biggest star of the Windwards is Rawl Lewis.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

It says something that the biggest star of the Windwards is Rawl Lewis.

Junior Murray is a domestic powerplayer.