Regional Super 50 Pollard’s 5-17 & Mohammed’s ton see Red force to victory

Feb 16, 2021 Sports

Jason Mohammed hit a century to see the Red Force home. (CWI)

Jonathan Carter spanks one off his legs during his half century. (CWI)

Roston Chase on the go during his half century. (CWI)

Five wickets were taken by captain Kieron Pollard. (CWI)

Kaieteur News – A star-studded Trinidad Red Force, led by 5-17 from Kieron Pollard and a superb 122 by Jason Mohammed, beat 2019 runners-up Barbados by five wickets with five balls remaining at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound Antigua in the latest round of action in the this year’s Regional Super50 yesterday.
Spearheaded by half-centuries from Justin Greaves, Jonathan Carter and Roston Chase and 20 from Sharmarh Brooks and 18 from Jason Holder, Barbados Pride reached 253-9 in 50 overs on a good track.
Greaves edged Ravi Rampaul to Keeper Denesh Ramdin after making 62 from 81 balls decorated with six fours and a six, Carter reached the boundary three times and cleared it once in 56 from 70 balls before he fell to Hosein, while Chase was removed by Pollard after making a rapid 56 from 57 balls with five fours and a six.
Greaves and Zachary McCaskie added 44 in 10.1 overs to give the Bajans a solid start before McCaskie was lbw b Hosein for 16, while Brooks and Greaves put on a further 42 before Brooks was run out at 86-2.
After Greaves departed at 106-3 in the 25th over, Carter and Chase put together 102 before Carter fell at 208-4 in 43 overs.
But the Bajans slumped from 208-3 to 253-9 as West Indies ODI Captain Pollard removed the last five batsmen cheaply to finish with 5-17 from 3overs.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein supported with 2-44 from 10 overs for the Red Force, who responded with 256-7 in 49.1 overs despite losing Denesh Ramdin (10) and Nicolas Pooran and Pollard for ducks, in the space of eight runs, as off-spinner Chase struck twice and left-arm pacer Dominic Drakes.
Stand-in ODI Skipper Mohammed stroked 10 classy fours and three sixes in his innings while Opener Evin Lewis hit a fluent 47-ball 61 with three fours and six sixes.
The shared in an 117-run second wicket stand in 20.2 overs after Kjorn Ottley (4) was LBW to Drakes, the son of former West Indies pacer Vasbert Drakes at 4-1 in the second over.
Mohammed and Lewis joined forces and played several audacious shots on both sides of the wicket before Chase got rid of Lewis at 122-2 to trigger a mini-collapse as three wickets tumbled for eight runs.
However, Sunil Narine, who reached the ropes twice in his 18 and fellow left hander Akeal Hosein with 20, contributed important runs.
Narine and Mohammed added 49 runs before Narine departed but Mohammed found another useful ally in Hosein as they featured in a 45-run stand before Mohammed was eventually removed by Holder at 253-7 in the penultimate over.
But Hosein, who hit a four and a six in his 20, kept his nerves to bat his team to a thrilling last over victory. Chase had 3-21 from 10 frugal overs, while Drakes took 2-47.
The action continues today from 13:30hrs with Jamaica facing the Windwards at the Coolidge ground.