T&T qualify for CLT20 in India again with 8-wkt win against Jamaica in semis

Jan 24, 2011 Sports

---

By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel, Carib Beer, Leisure Inn, GSL, Queensway & Dave’s West Indian Imports (NY)

Like they did in 2009 when they lost in the final, Trinidad and Tobago will once again represent the West Indies in this year’s Champions League T20 cricket tournament in India after enjoying an unbeaten run to this year’s final with an emphatic 8-wicket win against Jamaica in Saturday’s night’s semifinals.
Another solid performance for the 2008 Stanford Regional T20 champions saw them limit the Jamaicans to 136-9 off their 20 overs and then lead by a delightful 69-run opening stand in 10.4 overs between the in-form Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath, T&T raced to 140-2 in 17-5 overs.
The T&T side faced English T20 Champions in last night’s final for the Caribbean T20 trophy and the US$62,500 first prize but regardless of the outcome of that encounter they will be heading to India since the top Caribbean team in the competition will travel to Asia.
Last year, Guyana who eventually beat Barbados in the final to qualify for the 2010 CLT20 in South Africa, defeated the Trinis in the semi-finals after they had also spoiled the T&T party in the inaugural Regional T20 final in Antigua in 2006.
T&T beat Hampshire, Barbados, the Leewards and Hampshire to be the only unbeaten team in the competition and once their bowlers had shackled the Jamaicans who elected to bat first after winning the toss, it was all T&T, much to the delight of the flag-waving Trini fans in the vocal crowd.
Simmons, who disclosed that he had a productive discussion with Chairman of the West Indies selectors Clyde Butts after his non selection for the World Cup, continued his impressive showing in this competition with an accomplished 49-ball 51 with 2 fours and four sixes to lead the T&T charge to victory.
Barath stroked 3 fours and a six in his fluent 34-ball 37 before he was run out to set the foundation for the left-handed Daren Bravo unbeaten on 25 with two gorgeous boundaries to see his team to victory with 13 balls to spare.
Simmons, who was bowled by Test pacer Jerome Taylor in the 17th over at 128-2, was the other wicket to fall for T&T, who also played unbeaten in the Champions League in India before losing to New South Wales in the final two year ago.
Earlier, Xavier Marshall (5) was leg before to leg-spinner Samuel Badree in the game’s third over and never recovered although an aggressive 36 from 17 balls with two fours and 3 sixes helped them to a fighting total after they were wobbling on the ropes at 44-4 in the 12th over on a good track and fast outfield.
Shawn Findlay got going with 2 boundaries but then took 27 balls for his 16 before he was bowled by Kevin Cooper while the tournament’s leading run-scorer Marlon Samuels smashed a six and a four in his 14 before he was bowled by spinner Sunil Narine and when Danza Hyatt was caught and bowled by Narine for a duck, the Passa, Passa dancing Jamaicans in the crowd knew their team was in massive trouble.
Skipper Wavell Hinds (23) tried to revive the position with a 39-run partnership with Russell, but he was never allowed to score freely by the well-oiled T&T and was removed by Ravi Rampaul at 83-5 in the 16th over and when Russell was sent packing by Sherwin Ganga, only Dave Bernard (10) and Taylor (10) of the other batsmen reached double figures.
Narine had 2-21 and Rampaul 2-30 but Badree’s four overs for 15 runs with the new ball had put Jamaica, who lost to Guyana in 2008 and to Barbados last year at the semifinal stage again failed to make it past the ‘final four’ stage for the third consecutive occasion.
Meanwhile, Jamaica defeated the Windward Islands by 9 runs last night in their 3rd place play-off.
Jamaica made 153-8 off 20 overs with Hyatt leading the way with an unbeaten 43 from 21 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes. Marshall (36), Findlay (25), Samuels (19) also reached double figures. Nelon Pascal took 3-21 from 4 overs while spinner Mathurin 0-16 from 4 with the new ball.
Windwards set to 154 to take the 3rd place and the US$12,500 prize, were limited to 144-9 off 20 overs to lose by 9 runs.
Linden Lawrence tried his best with a shot-filled 36 from 26 balls but only Skipper Daren Sammy (17), Devon Smith (15) Gary Mathurin (25) and Keron Cottoy (12*) of the other batsmen past 10 as Dave Bernard took 3-25, Odean Brown had 3-34 and 21-year-old debutant left arm pacer Sheldon Cotterrell 2-17.
Dropped by Wavell Hinds on 30 and struck on his neck by a bouncer from Andre Russell, Lawrence hit 3 fours while a late rally by Mathurin who hit leg-spinner Odean Browne from consecutive sixes and followed it up with a straight driven four in the next over off Dave Bernard, kept the Windward fans interested.
But once Bernard got rid of Mathurin with 35 to get from the last 18 balls and Lawrence Browne removed Marvin Matthew (2) and Lawrence in the 18th over the Islanders, who lost to Hampshire in the semis, were 124-8.
The impressive 21-year-old left-arm pacer Sheldon Cotterrell bowled Kenroy Peters for a duck and with 26 needed from the last over Keron Cottoy smashed Andre Russell for a four and six but it was too little too late for the Windwards who took home the 4th prize of US$10,000.

---

---