Trinidad and Tobago made themselves instant favourites to cart off this year’s title when the whipped the Leeward Islands by nine wickets in a rain-interrupted game of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s Cup competition at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground yesterday.
First Trinidad’s Keiron Pollard grabbed a hat-trick when the Leewards batted to send them crashing to 219 all out in a game reduced to 43 overs a side.
Then, chasing what was a decent total, Trinidad, led by opener Lendl Simmons’ unbeaten century, cruised to victory reaching 221-1 after Simmons and Adrian Barath had put on 156 runs for the first wicket.
Barath made 72 from 79 balls and after he departed skipper Daren Ganga with an unbeaten 25 and Simmons, saw the Trinidadians to victory.
Barath’s half century came from 55 balls with three fours and two sixes before he held out to Wilden Cornwall at long on off Tonito Willett.
Simmons, who had reached his century in the 32nd over bowled by fast bowler Gavin Tonge, struck the penultimate ball of that over into the commentators’ booth for a massive six to formalize the result.
“It was a tough game though we did eventually win it easily,” Trinidad’s manager Colin Borde told Stabroek Sport.
“We knew coming here that Leeward Islands were in good form from yesterday and that we needed to play some good tough cricket,” Borde added. Most of the Leewards batsmen got starts but failed to carry on. After openers Austin Richards jnr., and Keiran Powell put on 36 for the first wicket with Richards making 21 and Powell 30 it was left to Omari banks, who top scored with 56 and Wilden Cornwall, who threw his bat at any and everything in making 45 for the Leewards to reach their eventual total.
At one stage the Leewards were 204-5 but three wickets fell with the score on 214.
The first to go was Cornwall whose 45 had included two meaty sixes and three fours from 30 balls. But, attempting another big hit he was gobbled up by Samuel Badree on the long off boundary off Pollard. Devon Thomas, who had crossed while the ball was airborne played a similar shot and was out in almost identical fashion caught Badree bowled Pollard who then clean bowled Justin Athnaze. Pollard ended with 3-47 while Badree, 2-25, Reyad Emrit, 2-28 and Ravi Rampaul 2-50 were the wicket takers.
