Trinidad exacts revenge on Guyana in Twenty20 affair

A whirlwind unbeaten 40 from middle-order batsman Keiron Pollard helped Trinidad and Tobago defeat Guyana by eight runs at the National Stadium, Providence yesterday to cart off the Cheddi Jagan Memorial Cup.

Billed as “The Ultimate Rematch” after Guyana had defeated Trinidad in the final of the inaugural Stanford Twenty20 competition, yesterday it was Trinidad’s turn to taste that sweet nectar one gets from a revenge win and a million dollars.

Pollard was given a `life’ by wicket-keeper Derwin Christian who had flung himself in front of Mahendra Nagamootoo at first slip but failed to grasp the chance when the batsman was on one and the Trinidadians 22-2 in the fourth over chasing Guyana’s inadequate 136-9 from their 20 overs.

Trinidad had earlier lost the explosive opener William Perkins and Darren Bravo as they went in search of quick runs with one eye on the weather. Perkins was caught by Travis Dowlin at mid on as he attempted to hit Christopher Barnwell over the top. The score was then 9-1 which soon became 19-2 when Bravo attempted to take a single and was brilliantly run out by Barnwell who fielded off his own bowling and removed the bail at the strikers’ end.

Pollard joined Lendl Simmons and, after the let off proceeded to add insult to injury, striking the final two deliveries of the over for fours.

Dowlin then brought on his tried and trusted right-arm, leg-spin bowler in regional record-holder Mahendra Nagamootoo who did not disappoint as he struck with his second delivery when he trapped Simmons lbw with one that kept straight as the batsman played for turn.

Captain Daren Ganga joined Pollard with his team precariously placed on 45-3 in the seventh over, but was run out two balls later backing up too far for one.

At 46-4 and needing to score another 91 runs from 13 overs, Pollard went to work, hitting Nagamootoo for six over long off to post his team’s 50. Then, in the bowler’s next over, he struck him over wide long on for another six as Trinidad raced to 63-4.

Pollard moved from 34 to his eventual 40 with another six, this time an effortless shot over a wide midwicket off Neil Mc Garrell that opened the clouds and brought persistent drizzles. The drizzles along with the fading light was enough to cause umpires Clyde Duncan and Daverteeth Anandjeet to decide that play could not continue at 4.50pm and Trinidad 71-4. According to the Duckworth/Lewis formula, they needed to be 63-4 at that stage of their innings, guaranteeing them victory by eight runs.

Barnwell and Nagamootoo took a wicket each for Guyana.

Earlier, the home team struggled to get the ball away against a consistent Trinidad bowling attack as Richard Kelly and Navin Stewart bowled aggressively at the Guyanese who were reduced to 68-5 after 14 overs after being sent in by Trinidad.

Back in the pavilion were openers Dowlin and Sewnarine Chattergoon, Lennox Cush, Ramesh Narine and Royston Crandon all to injudicious shot selections.

After driving Kelly through extra cover for four, Dowlin, who made six, was bowled by Kelly as he pushed tentatively forward to a delivery that swung back from outside off.

Chattergoon who also made six, was lbw as he pulled at a ball that kept low on him.

Cush and Crandon then added 28 for the third wicket before the former was brilliantly caught on the wide long on boundary by a diving Jason Mohammed for 13 that included two exquisite shots for four off Stewart with the bowler enjoying the last laugh. The 36-year-old Narine looked set for a big score before he was caught at gully and when Crandon went run out for 24 in the 14th over with Guyana 68-5, Trinidad were probably looking at a target of 95 to 100 for victory.

But Barnwell had other ideas as he took on the bowlers treating them with scant respect.

He took a liking to Pollard striking him for two sixes in the final over of the innings which yielded 17 runs and happened to be the most expensive one in the innings. Barnwell was left not out on 51.

Pollard, who was later adjudged man-of-the-match, took 3-29 whilst Stewart ended with 2-21. There was a wicket each for Kelly, Samuel Badree and Sherwin Ganga.

The match was organized by the Cheddi Jagan Memorial Committee.