BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago will return to the lucrative Airtel Champions League Twenty20 this year, after trouncing a docile Jamaica in the semi-finals of the Caribbean T20 Championship on Saturday night. They used miserly bowling to strangle Jamaica, reducing one of the pre-tournament favourites to an unflattering 136 for nine in the second semi-final at Kensington Oval.
Opener Lendl Simmons then stroked his third half-century of the tournament as Trinidad and Tobago’s batting juggernaut marched unbothered to their target, reaching 140 for two to complete a dominant eight-wicket win.

In last night’s final at the same venue, T&T l clashed with English County Hampshire who turned back Windward Islands by four runs in Saturday’s first semi-final.
With Hampshire not eligible for qualification to the CLT20 from the CT20, T&T’s berth in the final means they will represent the Caribbean at the third edition of the CLT20 later this year.

They were the find of the inaugural tournament in 2009 when they played unbeaten to reach the final before losing to New South Wales.
No doubt spurred on by that memory and the disappointment in last year’s CT20 where they lost at the semi-final sage, T&T swiftly took control of the contest after losing the toss and being asked to field.

Their varied attack was incisive and thrifty and quickly had Jamaica cornered at 44 for four in the 12th over, with most of the top order removed cheaply.(Scores: Jamaica 136-9 (20 overs), T&T 140-2 (17.5 overs)