By BRIJ PARASNATH

FORMER West Indies youth player Nicholas Pooran sent a powerful signal to the West Indies senior selectors when he produced another scintillating batting display.

This time, he enabled the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to secure a 35-run victory over the Guyana Jaguars in their first round CWI Super50 day-night encounter at the Queen’s Park Oval, Friday evening.

Left-handed Pooran followed his magnificent 88 (6×6, 7×4, 62 balls) in their clash against defending champion Windwards Volcanoes last Wednesday with another superlative batting performance against the Guyana Jaguars, whose bowlers restricted the star-studded Red Force to 242 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs.

Guyana Jaguars were bowled out for 207 in 47.2 overs.

Pooran top-scored once again with an attractive 75 that was studded with two sixes and six fours off 80 deliveries

Together with skipper Denesh Ramdin, who made 28 (2×4, 59 balls) Pooran featured in a 63-run fourth-wicket partnership that restored some respectability after the homesters were reduced to 67 for 3 after 14.5 overs.

Lendl Simmons was run-out for 26 (3×4, 41 balls), Evin Lewis was caught by Sherfane Rutherford off Christopher Barnwell for 22 (4×4, 27 balls).

Pooran and Kieron Pollard 20 runs (1×6, 24 balls) added a further 43 for the fifth wicket while skipper Dwayne Bravo made 23 (2×6, 27 balls).

Clinton Pestano (10-0-45-3), Barnwell (7-0-19-2) and Romario Shepherd (9-0-56-2) were the main wicket-takers.

In reply, the Red Force bowlers tightened their stranglehold around the Jaguars after both skipper Leon Johnson 32 (4×4, 30 balls) and left-handed opener Trevon Griffith 38 (4×4, 66 balls) posted 60 for the second wicket. They were separated at 73 for 2 after 17 overs.

There were no other significant partnerships as wickets tumbled at regular intervals with spinners Sunil Narine (10-1-30-3), Khary Pierre (9.5-0-29-2) and Imran Khan (9.5-0-44-2) being the chief destroyers. Skipper Bravo finished with 2 for 29 from 6.2 overs.  

SCOREBOARD
TT RED FORCE innings
L. Simmons run-out 26
E. Lewis c Rutherford b Barnwell 22
K. Hope b Barnwell 2
D. Ramdin c Barnwell b Lewis 28
N. Pooran c Rutherford b Shepherd 75
K. Pollard c wkp. Bramble b Pestano 20
DJ Bravo b Pestano 23
S. Narine b Pestano 6
R. Emrit c Griffith b Shepherd 3
I. Khan c (sub.) b Shepherd 10
K. Pierre not out 4
Extras: (lb-11, w-12) 23
Total: (all out, 49.2 overs) 242
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-57, 3-67, 4-130, 5-173, 6-194, 7-203, 8-217, 9-227.
Bowling: Shepherd 9.2-0-56-3, Reifer 6-0-30-0, Pestano 10-0-45-3, Barnwell 7-0-19-2, Permaul 10-1-42-0, Lewis 7-0-39-1.

GUYANA JAGUARS innings
T. Griffith stp. Ramdin b Imran Khan 38
C. Hemraj c wkp. Ramdin b DJ Bravo 6
L. Johnson c wkp. Ramdin b Pierre 32
R. Reifer c wkp. Ramdin b Pierre 12
C. Barnwell c Pollard b Imran Khan 20
S. Rutherford c Lewis b Narine 11
A. Bramble c DJ Bravo b Narine 18
R. Shepherd lbw b Narine 2
V. Permaul c Narine b Pollard 14
C. Pestano b DJ Bravo 21
R. Lewis not out 4
Extras: (b-5, lb-7, w-16, nb-1) 29
Total: (all out, 47.2 overs) 207
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-74, 3-92, 4-112, 5-128, 6-134, 7-149, 8-165, 9-188.
Bowling: Emrit 8-0-43-5, DJ Bravo 6.2-0-29-2, Narine 10-1-28-3, Pierre 10-0-30-2, Imran Khan 10-1-45-2, Pollard 3-0-20-1.