A Herculean effort by experienced, Barbados left-handed batsman, Floyd Reifer, almost took the Combined Campuses and Colleges [CCC] to a major upset victory over defending champions, Trinidad & Tobago, as the 2007 KFC Cup 50-over tournament bowled off yesterday at the Providence Stadium.
However, had the CCC held their catches and had their batsmen been more circumspect in their shot selection, the outcome might well have been different.
T&T won the toss and elected to bat on an easy-paced wicket, and billiard table-like outfield in brilliant sunshine, but with only a handful of spectators present.
Opener Lendl Simmons and the aggressive Mario Belcon, shared a partnership of 43. Simmons was the first to go, caught wicket-keeper Walton off medium pacer Craig Emmanuel for 21 [1×4;1×6], off 44 balls. Belcon, who was let off by Romel Currency off medium pacer Khismar Catlin when on 16, didn’t benefit from the generosity, eventually going caught by Ramnarine Chattergoon without adding to his score.
Belcon’s dismissal let in Bravo, who lost no time in stamping his authority over the CCC attack. Dropped when on 20 by Reifer at short mid-wicket, Bravo continued merrily along with his skipper Daren Ganga as the two brought up the hundred in the 22nd over, with Bravo on 32 and Ganga on 17. Bravo reached his 50 off 57 balls with six fours, before he was given another life by Parris off Chattergoon when on 51.
He eventually fell for 64, caught by substitute Jackson at forward square leg off Chattergoon . He faced 69 balls and hit seven boundaries, while sharing a partnership worth 97 off 116 balls in 70 minutes.
The burly, big-hitting Keiron Pollard then joined his skipper Ganga, who reached his 50 off 68 balls with four fours. The two put on 50 off 49 deliveries, before Pollard was run out for 16 off 19 balls.
Daren Ganga was next to go shortly after he saw the 200 up in 40.2 overs, caught Chattergoon, off quickie Jason Bennett for 71 off 85 balls with six fours. The T&T innings then went into decline, ending at 252 off 49 overs.
In their turn at the crease, the CCC opening pair of skipper Shirley Clarke and Omar Phillips made a promising start, putting on 34 before Clarke went LBW to Reyad Emrit for 20 off 23 deliveries, with three fours. Romel Currency then joined Phillips and after a brief flourish, during which Currency played an exquisite cover drive for four, he departed, caught by Pollard off Emrit for eight. n strode Reifer and with Phillips built a partnership worth 57 for the third wicket. t Phillips then went lbw to Badree for 34.
Walton joined Reifer and
their partnership yielded 72 off 93 balls before Walton was bowled by Pollard for 32. Reifer eventually reached a well-deserved hundred off 93 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Craig Emmanuel, Jason Parris, Chattergoon and company all went cheaply in the hunt for quick runs as the game went all the way down to the wire, with the CCC needing five runs from two deliveries in the final over. Reifer by then was batting with a runner, having been injured earlier when he collided with Badree.
The equation came down to four runs off the last ball, and Reifer, going for the winning run, was run out for 130, leaving the scores tied at 252-9.
Reifer, predictably, was named man of the match.
Local cricket fans could not have hoped for a better start to this year’s tournament.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (maximum 50 overs)
L. Simmons c wkpr Walton
b Emmanuel 21
M. Belcon c Chattergoon
b Catlin 16
*D. Ganga c Chattergoon
b Bennett 71
D. Bravo c sub (Jackson)
b Chattergoon 64
K. Pollard run out 16
S. Ganga b Chattergoon 4
+D. Ramdin b Bennett 16
R. Emrit c wk Walton
b Catlin 1
S. Badree st Walton
b *Clarke 10
R. Rampaul c Kantasingh
b *Clarke 14
A. Jaggernauth not out 0
Extras (b4, lb4, w10, nb1) 19
Total (all out, 49.2 overs) 252
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-52, 3-149, 4-199, 5-206, 6-216, 7-217, 8-234, 9-245.
Bowling: Bennett 10-0-45-2 (nb1, w1); Catlin 10-1-44-2 (w6); Emmanuel 6-0-32-1 (w2); Kantasingh 4-0-25-0; *Clarke 9.2-0-50-2 (w1); Chattergoon 10-0-48-2.
COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES (target: 253 off 50 overs)
*S. Clarke lbw
b Emrit 20
O. Phillips lbw
b Badree 34
R. Currency c S. Ganga
b Emrit 8
F. Reifer run out 130
+C. Walton b Pollard 32
C. Emmanuel run out 2
K. Catlin c Bravo
b Pollard 7
R. Chattergoon c Bravo
b Pollard 1
J. Parris run out 8
J. Bennett not out 1
Extras: (lb2, w6, nb1) 9
Total: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 252
K. Kantasingh did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-42, 3-109, 4-181, 5-191, 6-198, 7-225, 8-248, 9-252.
Bowling: Rampaul 10-0-60-0 (w1), Emrit 7-1-24-2 (w2), Bravo 6-0-30-0 (nb1, w1); Jaggernauth 5-0-30-0 (w1); Badree 9-0-33-1; S. Ganga 6-0-25-0; Pollard 7-0-48-3 (w1).
Result: Match tied.
Toss: T&T.
Points: T&T 1, Combined Campuses & Colleges 1.
Umpires: N. Malcolm, E. Nicholls.
Man-of-the-Match: Floyd Reifer (CCC).
