T&T brush aside USA by 6 wickets

Nov 18, 2008 Sports

Darren Ganga, Adrian Barath & MOM Carl Wright hit 50’s

Man-of-the match Carl Wright in full flow

By Franklin Wilson
A match winning second-wicket partnership of 140 between Captain Darren Ganga, who led from the front with 79 off 96 balls decorated with five elegant fours, and opening batsman Adrian Barath who smashed 67 from 79 deliveries laced with four fours and the only six of the innings, guided Trinidad and Tobago to a comfortable six wicket win over the United States of America (USA) in their President’s Cup Regional One Day fixture yesterday at the Enmore Community Centre ground on the East Coast of Demerara.

Eight-time champions T&T chasing their 9th title made light work of the North American side after winning the toss and inviting them to take first strike.

The USA were limited to 186-7 off their 50 overs to which T&T replied with 187-4 off 38 to win comfortably, also taking one bonus point in the process.

Chasing the runs successfully was never in doubt as the lads from Soca Land approached the task in business like fashion.

Lendl Simmons, who cracked 112 against the Leewards in his country’s impressive 9-wicket triumph in the first round, strolled to the wicket with opening partner Adrian Barath, who had contributed 76 in the victory charge against the Islanders.

The two were hoping to once again lead their country to another comprehensive win but that plan did not work out as they wanted as Simmons was sent back for 11 in the third over caught in spectacular fashion, one handed, by wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson off the 3rd ball of Robert Cresser opening over with the score on 15.

Cresser had replaced Timroy Alleyne who bowled just a solitary over, the second of the innings.
Simmons’ demise brought his Captain Darren Ganga to the middle to join forces with Barath, the two laying the groundwork for their side’s eventual victory.

Barath was the first to his half century, his second of the competition, which came off 64 balls in 101 minutes (1six & 3 fours).

Ganga, who made 25 against the Leewards notched up his 50 soon after with a tickle to the fine leg boundary off the bowling of Carl Wright.

When Barath departed in the 30th over, 30.1 to be exact, caught Imran Awan off the bowling of Aditya Thyagarajan for 67, victory was already in sight at 155-2. Barath was the first of three victims for Thyagarajan.

Darren Bravo, younger brother of West Indies senior all rounder Dwayne was the next man in and did not stay around too long. He was caught by Gregory Sewdial off Thyagarajan attempting to hit the bowler over the long off boundary.

Ganga’s younger brother Sherwin joined him at the crease with the score on 162-3 but the older sibling did not last until the end as the combination of Sewdial and Thyagarajan conspired for his dismissal, caught by the former off the latter, 179-4.

If the USA were harboring any thoughts of a come from behind victory with the fall of 3 quick wickets, Sherwin Ganga and Richard Kelly hit those thoughts out of the park as the two saw their country home off 38 overs, Sherwin 8* and Kelly, 3*.

Thyagarajan was the most successful bowler with 3-29 from 7, the other wicket went to Cresser for 31 runs off 5 overs. T&T only needed 163 minutes to take victory.

When the USA batted, man-of-the-match Carl Wright fell short of what would have been a deserved century by 11 runs, bowled by Samuel Badree for 89 decorated with three sixes and six spanking boundaries in 151 minutes of batting off 128 balls.

Wright had brought up his half century with a massive six over long off, off the bowling of Amit Jaggernauth.
The stocky right handed batsman was the anchor that held his side’s innings together.

Wicketkeeper batsman Akeem Dodson 32* off 47 balls (62 minutes) and Timroy Alleyne 15* off 18 gathered runs in the closing overs which added some respectability to the total, the two coming together in the 42nd over with the score on 150.

Earlier, Thyagarajan who had scored 42 in the USA’s loss to Barbados in their first round fixture got to 16, but became the first of three victims for medium pacer Richard Kelly.

Captain Orlando Baker (13) also got a start but was unable to build on it. Wickets fell at regular intervals as the T&T bowlers kept the other batters in check. Kelley ended with 3-33 while Rayad Emrit and Samuel Badree shared the other four wickets, equally.

T&T will now face the CCC tomorrow at the GCC and will be going all out for maximum points again while the USA will be in action again today against the CCC at Everest.

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