A healthy dose of restrictive bowling, along with a composed knock from newly-appointed captain, Kirk Edwards, guided Barbados to a five-wicket victory over archrivals, Trinidad & Tobago, when the final of the UWI Cave Hill Campus Twenty20 Festival was played on Friday under lights at the 3Ws Oval.
For much of the quadrangular tournament, which was being used as preparation for the imminent Caribbean T20, Barbados had easily looked the strongest outfit. And Friday night’s match against the reigning Caribbean champions proved to be no different.
Winning the toss and electing to bat before a large and vocal crowd, Trinidad & Tobago struggled to build partnerships and a total of 135-9 off 20 overs reflected it.
Kevon Cooper’s 57 off 47 balls, decorated with two fours and four sixes, was the only knock of any real value in an otherwise deflated performance with the bat. Besides Cooper, only Jason Mohammed (17), Lendl Simmons (10) and Darren Bravo (10) recorded scores in the double digits.
The wickets for Barbados were spread evenly with the fiery Tino Best grabbing three for 26, lanky left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn taking two for 14, medium pacer Carlos Brathwaite two for 26, and off-spinner Ashley Nurse the same.
In reply, Kirk Edwards’ unbeaten knock of 42 off 53 balls, inclusive of one boundary, guided Barbados to their winning total of 136-5 with seven balls to spare.
Alcindo Holder got in on the action with 23, as did Shane Dowrich with 20.
In the preceding match between the Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) and the C.O. Williams All-Stars, the students crushed the All-Stars by 69 runs on their home ground.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, CCC’s batsmen pillaged the All-Star bowling for 165-7 before they stifled their opposition for 96-6 off 20 overs.
The CCC’s Kyle Mayers was in devastating form, cracking 59 from 33 balls, along with five fours and three sixes.
In contrasting fashion, Ryan Wiggins and Floyd Reifer both scored 38, with Wiggins facing 40 deliveries for his runs, and Reifer 20 for his. Obviously the more patient of the pair, Wiggins hit two fours and one six, while Reifer went on the attack with two boundaries and three sixes.
Dane Currency picked up three for 31 and Christopher Jordan two for 27 as the All-Stars struggled to contain a rampaging CCC middle order.
In reply, the All-Stars never came close, with Raymon Reifer’s run-a-ball 36 being the only real highlight in an otherwise lackluster performance with the bat.
Slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Kavesh Kantasingh, was the pick of the CCC bowlers, ending with three for eight from four overs.
Summarised Scores
THIRD PLACE
Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) vs C.O. Williams All-Stars
CCC 165-7 (20 overs) (Kyle Mayers 59, Ryan Wiggins 38 not out, Floyd Reifer 38; Dane Currency 3-31, Christopher Jordan 2-27).
All-Stars 96-6 (20 overs) (Raymon Reifer 36, Nekoli Parris 25, Omar Phillips 12; Kavesh Kantasingh 3-8).
Toss: CCC.
Result: Combined Campuses & Colleges beat C.O. Williams All-Stars by 69 runs.
SCORECARD
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
L. Simmons b Best 10
A. Barath c Brathwaite b Best 0
D. Bravo c Nurse b Best 10
J. Mohammed c wk Dowrich b Brathwaite 17
*+D. Ramdin c & b Benn 1
K. Cooper c Hinds b Benn 57
S. Ganga b Nurse 7
S. Narine c Smith b Nurse 3
R. Emrit b Brathwaite 9
S. Badree not out 5
S. Gabriel not out 1
Extras (b1, lb4, w8, nb2) 15
TOTAL (9 wks, 20 overs) 135
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-22, 3-27, 4-34, 5-58, 6-114, 7-116, 8-120, 9-134.
Bowling: Best 4-0-26-3, Hinds 3-0-16-0, Searles 2-0-22-0, Benn 4-0-14-2, Brathwaite 3-0-26-2, Nurse 4-0-26-2
BARBADOS
D. Smith c Emrit b Badree 9
*K. Edwards not out 42
R. Hinds b Gabriel 1
J. Carter c wk Ramdin b Emrit 5
+S. Dowrich c Narine b Cooper 20
A. Holder lbw b Narine 23
A. Nurse not out 7
Extras (b10, lb2, w12, nb5) 29
TOTAL (5 wks, 18.5 overs) 136
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-16, 3-28, 4-63, 5-126.
Did not bat: C. Brathwaite, J. Searles, S. Benn, T. Best.
Bowling: Gabriel 3-0-27-1, Badree 4-0-15-1, S. Narine 4-0-23-1, R. Emrit 2-0-13-1, S. Ganga 3-0-17-0, K. Cooper 3.5-0-29-1.
Result: Barbados won by five wickets with seven balls to spare.
Toss: Trinidad & Tobago.
Umpires: Jonathan Blades, Patrick Grazette.
Match referee: Carlyle Carter
