…whip Barbados Pride by 72 runs in final

By Brij Parasnath
In Trinidad & Tobago
TRINIDAD and Tobago Red Force ensured they remain the WICB NAGICO Super50 “Kings,” when they put on a thoroughly professional all-round performance to whip Barbados Pride by 72 runs in the grand final contested at the famous Queen’s Park Oval last evening.They retained the Clive Lloyd Trophy in front of a very supportive crowd that comprised mostly Red Force supporters, who danced for joy when sweet victory was achieved at 20:46 hrs, when pacer Reyad Emrit castled Jomel Warrican’s stumps to end their stubborn 49-run 10th-wicket partnership that delayed the inevitable, after Narsingh Deonarine had dismissed the dangerous Carlos Brathwaite who looked in ominous form and was carrying the fight to the Trinidadians in a 59-run enterprising seventh- wicket partnership with Shai Hope who topscored with 50.
Superb bowling by pacers Reyad Emrit (9.5-0-46-3) and Marlon Richards (8-0-38-2) plus excellent support from spinners JonRuss Jagessar (9-1-30-2), Akeal Hosein (10-1-55-2) and Narsingh Deonarine (6-2-16-1) ensured that the Barbadians were kept under “heavy manners” throughout their struggle to get 271 runs to dethrone the Trinidad and Tobago fighting outfit.
Guyana-born Richards started the destruction of the Barbados batting when he got Dwayne Smith (five runs off five balls) to cut a lifting delivery straight to Emrit fielding at the deep third man position, five metres inside the boundary marker.
Emrit followed his new-ball partner and prised out stonewaller Kraigg Brathwaite (five runs, eight balls), who chopped into his stumps with an agricultural stroke; and Jonathan Carter (0) who also inside-edged into his stumps in attempting an ambitious drive through the cover region.
Richards deceived Shamarh Brooks, who edged to Denesh Ramdin. He also snared skipper Jason Holder (14) who edged leg-spinner Jagessar into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.
Shane Dowrich, who had collided with Ashley Nurse and had to receive medical treatment, was bowled by Jagessar for 14 while Carlos Brathwaite, who made an attacking 46, was deceived and adjudged LBW to Narsingh Deonarine who operated from round the wicket.
It was 139 for 7, but Brathwaite, when on 33, was lucky to have survived a very confident appeal for a caught-behind chance off Deonarine, who got the all-rounder to scoop the ball into Ramdin’s gloves. Surprisingly, umpire Abraham turned down the vociferous appeal by Ramdin, Deonarine and the close-in fielders.
But Deonarine persevered and finally dismissed Brathwaite, who had threatened to turn the match in Barbados Pride’s favour.
Hosein was re-introduced into the attack and immediately forced Nurse to give Deonarine a simple catch at gully and departed for two runs as Barbados Pride’s embarrassment continued with the eighth wicket down for 142.
The Hosein-Deonarine tandem combined once again as Shai Hope on 50 (4x4s off 92 balls) drove airily, only to see the ball balloon off the edge to Deonarine at gully.
Hope was the only Barbadian who displayed the type of application needed against the rampant Trinidadians, whose accurate and penetrative bowling was well supported by the brilliant Ramdin behind the stumps.
Earlier, the T&T Red Force batted first after Barbados Pride’s captain Jason Holder won the crucial toss and decided that his team will bowl first, because of the overcast conditions and threatening dark clouds in the distant eastern horizon away from the city of Port of Spain.
Trinidad and Tobago openers Evin Lewis and Kyle Hope defied the Barbadian bowlers and were associated in a 54-run first-wicket partnership before Lewis (25) offered a catch to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich in attempting a cut stroke from a lifting delivery from Carlos Brathwaite.
Kjorn Ottley did not last long and he drove with too much bottom hand and lanky Sulieman Benn dived to his left at cover and brought up the ball which signalled that T&T Red Force had lost their second wicket at 72 (16.3 overs). There was a further hiccup for the defending champions when Hope was adjudged LBW by umpire Lennox Abraham for 34.
The Barbados-born franchise player pushed forward and misjudged the line of the Dwayne Smith’s seaming delivery, which was going down the legside, but Hope’s movement towards the offside brought forth a belated affirmative decision by umpire Abraham.
T&T Red Force was in some serious trouble and surprisingly skipper Jason Mohammed, promoted himself ahead of the experienced Denesh Ramdin, who has shown remarkable form with the bat.
Mohammed, who was the batting hero against Guyana in the 2015 final with a match-winning 117, struggled initially, but soon found his batting rhythm and started to play his shots until he gave his hand away when he did not have enough power and elevation to cart left-arm spinner Benn over long-off, where Shamarh Brooks accepted a straightforward catch three metres inside the boundary rope.
Mohammed departed for 31 after he had shared a 75-run fourth-wicket stand with West Indies senior player Darren Bravo, who batted with greater composure and assurance in his strokeplay.
Ramdin joined Bravo and the two senior stars upped the tempo and added 57 for the fifth wicket, when Ramdin (26) was deceived by a slower delivery from Carlos Brathwaite and was comprehensively bowled as he attempted a scoop shot and played too early.
Bravo displayed his class with superbly timed strokes all round the wicket and was once again set for the magical triple-figure mark when he was dismissed on 97 as he attempted a forceful drive outside the offstump from a delivery lined up by Jason Holder.
Bravo registered his third consecutive half-century and for the second successive innings he missed the coveted hundred. He made 95 in the semi-final against the Guyana Jaguars and was caught at the long off position in attempting a huge six for the century-mark. He had made 82 against Barbados in the second-round match at the same venue.
In the final, Bravo’s attractive 97 was adorned with two sixes and eight fours off 108 balls faced, and he was associated in 43-run sixth-wicket stand with Reyad Emrit, who remained undefeated on 18 when the T&T Red Force innings closed at 270 for 7 off their allotted 50 overs.
The score proved too much for the Barbados Pride, which had defeated Trinidad and Tobago by 17 runs in the inaugural NAGICO Super50 final at the QP Oval in 2014.
The Trinidadians sparked carnival-like celebrations after they created history with back-to-back NAGICO Super50 crowns and their 12th regional 50-overs title.