DESPITE a spirited bowling effort from former West Indies Under-19 skipper Steven Jacobs who took 4-23 from three overs of tidy off spin, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) managed to walk away with a nine runs victory over Guyana at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence last Saturday night, thanks to the batting of Lendl Simmons.
The 25 year old temperamental opener struck a 39 ball 52 which was decorated with three fours and two sixes against the bowling of Jacobs who got support from Royston Crandon (2-44) and Esaun Crandon (1-25) to guide his team to 150-9 from their 20 overs.
Veteran T20 player Lennox Cush was his usual miserly and composed self, conceding a mere 16 runs from his four overs for Guyana, who reached 142-4 in reply, despite a solid 68 runs first wicket stand between Travis Dowlin (29) and Derwin Christian (39).

When Daren Ganga won the toss and opted to bat first on a fast track and much faster outfield, the thousands of spectators who turned out to fill the venue in support of their team, cheered loudly as they would have the opportunity to see their South Africa bound team display the batting attitude that brought them victory in the Regional T20 tournament last month.

The 36 year- old Cush is the perfect example of the term free agent for cricket in the Caribbean and he displayed the bowling that brought him two hat- tricks in T20 cricket against the Twin Island Republic opening pair of Simmons and Adrian Barath (07).

They added 18 for the first wicket, with Barath pulling a short delivery from Cush for four, before he was caught by Christopher Barnwell at mid off, when he tried to force Esaun Crandon over that area.

Certainly, the noise level emanating out of the venue whenever a wicket fell or a dot ball was bowled, signaled all Guyana were behind their team.

Darren Bravo (12; 1×4), the younger brother of energetic West Indies all rounder Dwayne Bravo joined Simmons and they added 61 for the second wicket, with Simmons welcoming Paul Wintz into Regional cricket with a pulled six over wide midwicket in an over that cost Guyana 17 runs.

The quick demise of Bravo who was bowled by Royston Crandon, followed by the wickets of Justin Guillen (04), Imran Khan (04) and Sherwin Ganga (01) and Simmons who brought up his half century from 37 balls with three fours and two sixes, left the visitors on 100-6 in the 16th over, thanks to Jacobs.

The removal of Jacobs from the bowling after being called for a second waist high full toss which was questionable by those gathered at the venue opened the flood gates for T&T who at that stage were 116-6 with skipper Daren Ganga on 15.

Despite losing the wickets of Kevin Cooper (13) who was caught by Jonathan Foo off Royston Crandon along with Rayad Emrit (01) and Sunil Narine (01), Daren Ganga still manage to accumulate 34 runs from the 12 remaining deliveries of the innings.

He got 20 of them off the final which was bowled by Royston Crandon, as he was unbeaten on 40 made off 28 deliveries and decorated with two fours and one six for his team.

The start given by both Dowlin and Christian erased the removal of Jacobs from the minds of the spectators, as they tore into the Calypso Land bowling attack with authority.

A neatly timed drive through the covers and off the back foot by Dowlin off Emrit, displayed to those gathered the batting that gained him a place in the West Indies team, apart from making him the most successful batsman in regional T20 cricket.

His Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) teammate then showed his big hitting attitude with a six over wide long on off Emrit, followed by a four through forward of square off Narine, before Dowlin struck Sherwin Ganga back over his head for a 4, as Guyana raced to 68 from nine overs.

Narine won the battle between the openers and himself, when he took a return catch to send Dowlin who faced 30 deliveries and struck four fours in his 29, on his way.

Narsingh Deonarine (41*) replaced Dowlin and together with Christian who was in his groove, added 29 from four overs, before Christian’s entertaining innings came to an end when he was bowled by Khan who took 2-20.

He faced 36 balls for his 39 and struck three fours along with his six off Emrit and his demise saw the brakes being applied to Guyana ’s batting, as the Trinidadians who had never won a completed T20 match against their host, allowed the singles while preventing the boundaries.

Foo (10) joined Deonarine who slog swept Khan through midwicket twice for four, but was never allowed the room to exhibit his big hitting attitude even though he added 23 with his more senior partner, before he was bowled by Khan to leave Guyana on 120-3 in the 18th over.

The home team whose only loss in a Regional T20 match came at the hands of Jamaica in the semifinals of the 2008 Stanford tournament, needed 20 to win from the final over which was bowled by Sherwin Ganga.

They were only allowed 11 of those runs, losing Barnwell (05) who was caught at the wicket by Simmons off the third delivery of the over and even though Deonarine repeated his 2006 Stanford US$1m shot off the final delivery, it was a little to late for the home team who fell short by nine runs.

Khan ended with 2-20 for T&T, while Simmons was later declared the man of the match, as certainly Trinidad and Tobago did put up on the first match.