SPORTS
Jonathan Ramnansingh
A master class 165-run stand by Red Force captain Nicholas Pooran (99 not out) and Darren Bravo (67 not out) launched Trinidad and Tobago into the semi-finals of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup after an emphatic seven-wicket win to the Windward Islands Volcanoes. at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, on Saturday night.
Pooran and Bravo, in partnership with a fine knock of 43 from opener Kjorn Ottley, took the hosts to a staggering 249/3 after 39 overs in a rain-affected match with the Red Force chasing a revised target of 248.
It came as a result of a rain delay of more than two hours in the southern country amid a valiant attack by the Windward Islands, led by Sunil Ambris (90 not out) and captain Andre Fletcher (68 not out), who which took them to 201/4 after 40 overs before the heavens opened.
When play resumed at 19:45, the Red Force were tasked with a challenging new target of 249 for victory after applying the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Despite losing fellow opener Amir Jangoo (two) with 32 runs on the board, Ottley and Jason Mohammed combined to form a fine partnership of 49 runs.
Ottley hit Volcanoes pacer Preston McSween for four straight down the ground and also targeted off-spinner Kavem Hodge as Mohammed scored on 25 off 43 balls before being caught behind by Johnson Charles off Justin Greaves.
At 71/2 after 16.1 overs, Bravo entered. Ottley, however, fell 13 runs later, bowled by Greaves. His exit made way for young batsman Pooran to join Bravo in the middle.
Needing a mammoth 165 runs from 131 balls, the TT pair then snuffed out the Volcanoes attack in quick succession. Pooran and Bravo were clinical and stroked the ball around the stadium with clear intent.
They rotated the batting smartly and eased the pressure on each other by removing bad balls and taking quick singles.
With ten overs to go, the pair smashed a quickfire 39-run knock in three overs that took them to 198/4, needing 51 runs from 42 balls for victory.
Flavoring his century, Pooran cut Graves for four and then scored 12, including two back-to-back boundaries, off Shadrack Descarte, to lead the chase.
With Pooran on strike, on 96, and just seven runs needed from 12 balls, the skipper played a single to let Bravo face Descartes.
Bravo, however, hit a four, and although it helped their chase considerably, he apologized to Pooran for taking so many runs off the board, well aware of his captain’s urgency for a home century.
Bravo then hit a single off Descartes’ penultimate delivery to bring the scores level.
With Pooran needing one run for victory and two for a projected century, he settled for the former this time, falling well short of his match-winning, unbeaten captain’s 99, but also securing a place in semi-cup of the Super50 Cup. final.
The win for TT affirmed the top spot with 18 points after six preliminary round matches of Zone A. Also making it to the knockout stage from this group was the Guyana Harpy Eagles who defeated Combined Campuses and Colleges by 129 runs earlier in the day.
Earlier, the Red Force had the Volcanoes at a point of concern at 37/4 after seven overs.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein was a bit expensive, conceding ten runs in the first over, but Shannon Gabriel was successful in the second innings, breaking the stumps of Johann Jeremiah (five) off his second delivery.
Hosein came back into the attack and the visitors lost their second wicket as Yannic Cariah bowled Charles out for eight.
Volcanoes dangerman Alick Athanaze got out but Hosein looked to make amends for his early slip as he was brilliantly caught by a diving Pooran at second slip.
Two balls later, Hosein struck again in similar fashion as young batsman Kavem Hodge bowled a quick delivery into the hands of Sunil Narine at first slip as they slipped to 36/4.
But the duo of Ambris and Fletcher buckled down, saved the innings and gave them a fighting chance until the long rain.
Pooran rotated his bowlers with Cariah, Narine, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie and Terrance Hinds all trying to break the partnership. But the Volcanoes pair played patiently and gained confidence as the evening progressed.
The pair gathered with Fletcher driving Cariah and Hinds down the ground for well-executed boundaries. Despite the Vulcans showing good resistance, the Red Force’s rotation options continued to threaten.
In the 33rd over, there was a short break for drinks and the pair returned with purpose. Ambris hit Narine for two fours in the next over, which eventually reached 12 runs.
Both the batsmen made big hits in succession as they each plastered Cariah for six each in the same over (36th over).
Eight runs came from Hinds in the 39th over and four from the 40th to take them to 201/4 just before the covers came.
Additionally, the Zone B semi-finalists will be decided on Sunday as Barbados Royals take on Leeward Islands and Jamaica take on West Indies Academy, both from 2pm. Barbados, Leewards and Jamaica, with wins, will seal qualification to the semi-finals.
The first half takes place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Wednesday, the second on Thursday and the title game at the same venue on Saturday.
POSITIONS:
VOLCANOES 201 for four off 40 overs (Sunil Ambris 90 not out, Andre Fletcher 68 not out; Akeal Hosein 2-37)
RED FORCE 249 for three off 39 overs (Nicholas Pooran 99 not out, Darren Bravo 67 not out, Kjorn Ottley 43; Justin Greaves 2-55)
