THE Guyana Daredevils lost the second Twenty20 cricket match against Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) by 56 runs at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence Saturday night, thanks to a robust half century from man of the match Dinesh Ramdin.

Winning the toss and opting to take first strike, T&T, who will be leaving for India where they will compete in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Club t20 championships on the 4th October, posted 203-5 from their 20 overs, before restricting the Daredevils to 147-7 from their 20 overs.

Openers Lendl Simmons (39, 7×4 29 balls) and William Perkins (22, 12 balls 3×4), posted 73 for the first wicket, with the former hitting Kellon Carmichael for three fours in the first over of the match, followed by another off national fast bowler Esaun Crandon which raised the 50 for T&T in the fourth over.

At the other end of the pitch, Perkins also struck Carmichael through extra cover for four, then took a few steps down the wicket and hit the same bowler back over his head for a maximum, the first of the night.

Simmons had also struck two consecutive fours off Crandon, before the introduction of off-spinner Dion Ferrier who took 2-27 from his four overs, accounted for both openers who were adjudged lbw in the space of two balls in the seventh over of T&T’s innings.

Former T&T Under-19 skipper Adrian Barath who made 17 was caught by Sauid Drepaul at long off when he attempted to hit Troy Gonsalves (1-14) out of the ground at 115-3 at the end of the 12th over, but his demise brought Ramdin and Kieron Pollard (36, 27 balls 4×4; 1×6) together and this spelled trouble for the home team bowling.

Gonsalves was struck over mid-wicket by Ramdin for a maximum, followed by an audacious pull through the same area for four off Sewnarine Chattergoon while Pollard tickled then got a miscued hook for four off Christopher Barnwell who took 2-54.

The Pollard/Barnwell battle continued in the bowler’s next over, with the towering Trinidadian all rounder pulling Barnwell through forward square leg for four to push T&T to 144-3 at the end of 15 overs.

Ramdin displayed his power hitting attitude to the small crowd which number around 2,500, by dispatching Drepaul over midwicket twice for maximums, followed by a four through the same area off Ferrier.

Barnwell came out victorious over Pollard, who after hitting him over long off for his lone six, picked out a diving Ferrier at point who came up with the catch to the delight of the spectators and a jubilant looking Barnwell who bowled Ramdin three balls later to leave T&T on 184-5 after 18 overs.

Dwayne Bravo who was dropped by substitute fielder Andrew Lyght Jnr on the deep cover boundary off Barnwell provided some fireworks at the end of the innings by hitting the same bowler over long on and then long off for maximums as T&T closed on 203-5.

The Daredevils’ innings got off to a disastrous start as they lost both Chattergoon (08) and Shemroy Barrington (01) to be 12-2 in the third over.

Aggressive batting from Barnwell who struck four fours and two sixes from the 15 deliveries he faced for his 31 along with Assad Fudadin’s 42 balls 39 which was decorated with four fours, helped restore some pride to the total.

Barnwell took a liking to Samuel Badree (2-31) by hitting him over long on and then long off from successive deliveries for four and six respectively to push the score to 26-2 in the fourth over, before he drove Navin Stewart through point for four.

Fudadin also struck Stewart through point for four, then watched as Barnwell struck Badree over extra cover for four, followed by a slog sweep over backward square leg for six, before he was caught inches away on the long on boundary by Simmons.

Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan entered the fray and after being forced to survive some short deliveries from his West Indies teammate Dwayne Bravo, stood tall to pull the same bowler through square leg for four, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Sarwan continued his boundary hitting act on Bravo with a top edge to long leg, followed by an audacious drive off the front foot through extra cover off Rayad Emrit, then watched as Fudadin also drove Emrit with disdain back along the ground for four.

Sarwan picked out Badree at midwicket at 88-4 in the 13th over and was quickly followed by Leon Johnson (12; 1×4) who was dropped by Ganga at extra cover to leave the Daredevils on 117-5 which became 123-6 when Fudadin was bowled by Sunil Narine.

Two sixes from Gonsalves who finished unbeaten on 19 made off 10 deliveries from the bowling of Narine and one from Ferrier who struck Bravo back over his head, proved to be inadequate for the Daredevils who lost Darwin Christian for one, as they ended on 147-7.

Dave Mohammed led the bowling with 2-6 and received worthy support from Badree (2-31), while there was a wicket each for Stewart, Pollard and Narine, while Ramdin received a trophy and a Wellman hamper, compliments of Mike’s Pharmacy.

Meanwhile, in a show of appreciation, the T&T team presented Minister of Housing and Water Irfan Alli with a Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) tie and an official T&T team jersey which was autographed by the players during the changeover of innings.