ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Lendl Simmons’s sixth List A hundred failed to guarantee Trinidad and Tobago Red Force a clinical win as the star-studded side stumbled and stuttered before pulling off a messy four-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes.
In pursuit of a modest 228 at Coolidge Cricket Ground under lights here Saturday, Red Force appeared to be sprinting towards a convincing win at 159 for one in the 30th over after Simmons lashed an entertaining hundred.
His demise, via the run out route for 102 off 114 balls, was part of a slide of four wickets tumbling for 22 runs off 40 balls, to leave Red Force slumping on 181 for five in the 37th over.
Captain Kieron Pollard spared his side blushes with 31 off 35 balls but then took some of the shine off when he picked out cover with left-arm spinner Larry Edward (2-48) with two runs required for victory in the 45th, leaving Red Force to get home in the next over.
While happy with the points, Pollard said Red Force needed to be more efficient.
“Winning is good, winning is a habit [but] the manner in which you win sometimes can be disappointing,” Pollard said afterwards.
“For us, we always want to improve and again, too many soft dismissals from our batsmen chasing a small total like that so it’s something we have to look at.”
All-rounder Kerron Cottoy had earlier top-scored with 72 from 75 deliveries while captain Sunil Ambris stroked 66 from 77 balls to help Volcanoes rally to 227 all out with five balls left in the innings.
They were the only two to show any enterprise and while Ambris held the top order together with a series of small partnerships, Cottoy did the same for the lower order.
Part-time off-spinner Jason Mohammed (3-50) and fast bowler Anderson Phillip (3-63) snatched two wickets apiece to destabilise the Volcanoes innings while left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein bowled superbly to finish with two for 25 after being handed the new ball.
“I think we were 40, 45 runs too short and we kept losing wickets at crucial periods. That just set us back,” Ambris lamented.
The victory was the second straight win for favourites Red Force following their victory over Jamaica Scorpions last Thursday while the defeat for Volcanoes on the back of their opening win against Leeward Islands Hurricanes six days ago.
Sent in, Volcanoes lost Andre Fletcher with eight runs on the board, playing back to Hosein to be plumb lbw for two in the third over but Ambris put on 38 for the second wicket with Kimani Melius (16), 37 for the fourth with Emmanuel Stewart (21) and 50 for the fifth with Cottoy.
Ambris was eventually fifth out after striking 10 fours, lbw to Phillip playing around a straight delivery and Cottoy picked up the slack after three wickets tumbled for 18 runs in 32 balls, adding 35 for the eighth with Ray Jordan (18) and 31 for the ninth with Kenneth Dember (8).
Cottoy struck seven fours before attempting an ambitious scoop and nicking a catch behind off veteran seamer Ravi Rampaul to be ninth out.
In reply, Simmons punched seven fours and five sixes, fuelling an 81-run opening stand with Evin Lewis (37) and a 78-run second wicket stand with Nicholas Pooran (17), as he surpassed 4 000 runs in List A cricket.
The 36-year-old raised his hundred in the 30th over with a single to long off off pacer Ryan John but then lasted only a further seven balls before following Pooran back.
Mohammed (13) and Denesh Ramdin (1) fell cheaply but Pollard lashed a four and three sixes in a 45-run, sixth wicket stand with Darren Bravo (12 not out) to calm the nerves.
