By Lennox Aldred

TAROUBA, Trinidad, (CMC) – IN a rain-affected CG United Super50 Cup clash at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force emerged victorious by six runs over the Guyana Harpy Eagles via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after persistent rain brought a premature end to the day/night encounter here on Sunday.
After a delayed start forced the match to be reduced to 44 overs per side, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, anxious to kickstart their campaign after two previous washouts, were sent into a tailspin by a devastating Red Force bowling attack.
The new-ball pair of Terrance Hinds 3-18 and rookie Ricky Jaipaul 3-29 ran riot, reducing the visitors to a precarious 21 for 4 inside the first ten overs.
Guyana’s innings was rescued from complete ruin by a brilliant counter-attacking partnership between all-rounders Gudakesh Motie and Keemo Paul.
The duo added a rapid 65 runs from just 64 balls, aggressively targeting the Red Force spinners to revive their team’s hopes. Motie was the standout, top-scoring with a fluent 65 from 58 deliveries, an innings laced with six fours and three sixes.
However, just as Guyana looked to post a competitive total, the Red Force struck back. Hinds returned to break the partnership by removing Paul for 39, and the young medium pacer Abdul-Raheem Toppin 1-29, eventually dismissing the dangerous Motie, bowling Guyana out for 196 in the 41st over.
With 197 to chase, Trinidad and Tobago started slowly as they lost their first wicket in the 8th over with just 16 runs on the board.
Cephas Cooper went lbw to Motie for 12. Motie was again involved in the second wicket to fall; this time he took the catch to dismiss the captain, Da Silva, for 10 off spinner Junior Sinclair, with 35 runs on the board in the 11th over.
Four runs later, Sinclair snared his second wicket; this time, Yannic Cariah perished for two. The inform Jason Mohammed played a couple of handsome strokes to get to 15, but when he fell with the score on 65, things were looking bleak for the host.
Opener Tion Webster, who took a while to get going, started to find his groove and got himself to 31 runs from 54 balls with five fours.
His batting partner, Gyd Goolie, also unleashed a few lusty blows and was not out on 29 before rain ended the contest at 106 for four, and the Red Force six runs ahead of the DLS score.