KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago were dumped from the WICB One-Day Championship yesterday as the Windward Islands impressively marched to their third straight win with an eight-wicket victory at Sabina Park.
The defending champions, in pursuit of a hat-trick of titles in the competition, produced a shocking batting display to fall for a disappointing 133 from 40.1 overs, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.
Opener Devon Smith then celebrated his call up to the West Indies squad for the tour of Sri Lanka next month with a responsible unbeaten 51 to guide the Windwards to 139 for two off 33.2 overs.
The Windwards’ victory meant they finished Group A on 13 points after picking up a bonus point, with Jamaica second on seven points and T&T third on six. Combined Campuses and Colleges finished without a point.
From the outset, T&T lost wickets steadily and it was left to Kieron Pollard’s 39 to bring some respectability to the score, as fast bowler Mervin Matthew (2-20), Test off-spinner Shane Shillingford (2-23) and pacer Nelon Pascal (2-32) all picked up two wickets apiece.
Adrian Barath started the rut when he was run out for four by Andre Fletcher’s direct throw at six for one in the fifth over, and left-handed stroke-maker Darren Bravo was then given out caught at the wicket for four off Matthew at 20 for two in the ninth over.
Replays showed the ball clipped his pads on its way through to wicketkeeper Lyndon James.
Opener Lendl Simmons was trapped lbw to Matthew two overs later at 23 for three and captain Daren Ganga departed at 38 for four in the 15th over, also lbw to Pascal.
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo stroked a cameo 29 from 25 balls with three fours and two sixes before he nibbled at a Darren Sammy out-swinger, to be caught at the wicket.
It was then left to Pollard to shepherd the innings with an uncharacteristically sedate knock that required 69 balls and included just four fours and a six.
He was last out, bowled trying to smash Pascal out of the ground in the 41st over.
Windwards then motored to 38 without loss off seven overs at the interval, as they strengthened their grip on the encounter.
On resumption, however, they lost Johnson Charles for 26 with no runs added to the total, and Andre Fletcher for nine at 48 for two in 10th over, as off-spinner Sherwin Ganga (2-26) struck twice.
If T&T sensed a way back, Smith and Keddy Lesporis erased any such thoughts with an unbroken stand of 81 for the third wicket which saw the Windwards to victory.
Smith faced 89 balls and struck four fours while the 21-year-old Lesporis was unbeaten on 45 from 76 balls with two fours and two sixes, the last of which sailed over long on off Sherwin Ganga to end the game.
SCOREBOARD
T&T
A Barath run out 4
L Simmons lbw b Matthew 8
DM Bravo c wkp James b Matthew 4
*D Ganga lbw b Pascal 6
DJ Bravo c wkp James b Sammy 29
+D Ramdin lbw b Shillingford 17
K Pollard b Pascal 39
S Ganga c Sammy b Shillingford 2
S Badree c Smith b Mathurin 9
D Mohammed run out 0
R Rampaul not out 2
Extras (lb1, w10, nb2) 13
TOTAL (all out, 40.1 overs) 133
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-20, 3-23, 4-38, 5-68, 6-78, 7-90, 8-114, 9-125, 10-133.
Bowling: Matthew 8-3-20-2, Pascal 7.1-0-32-2, Sammy 10-2-35-1, Shillingford 10-1-23-2, Mathurin 5-0-22-1.
WINDWARDS
D Smith not out 51
J Charles b S Ganga 26
A Fletcher c DM Bravo b S Ganga 9
K Lesporis not out 45
Extras (b2, lb2, w4) 8
TOTAL (2 wkts, 33.2 overs) 139
Did not bat: +L James, *D Sammy, G Mathurin, N Pascal, S Shillingford, M Matthew, L Sebastien.
Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-48.
Bowling: Badree 5-0-27-0, Rampaul 2-0-14-0, S Ganga 9.2-1-26-2, Mohammed 7-1-25-0, Pollard 3-0-11-0, DJ Bravo 4-0-14-0, Simmons 3-0-18-0.
Result: Windwards won by eight wickets.
Points: Windwards 5, T&T 0.
Toss: T&T.
Umpires: L Kelly, C Mack.
