Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force trounced Barbados Pride by nine wickets in their top-of-the table Regional Super50 clash, thanks mainly to an unbroken 173-run partnership between Kjorn Ottley and Amir Jangoo on Saturday.
Ottley cracked an unbeaten 112 from 132 balls, while Jangoo finished on 93 not out, and the Red Force easily overhauled the Pride’s total of 258 for nine, coasting to 259 for one in 43.3 overs.
The result ensured that the Red Force finished in first position on 64 points, ahead of the Jamaica Scorpions (53 points) and the Pride on 46 points.
The final semifinal spot is still up for grabs with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes (38 points) and the Windward Islands Volcanoes (31 points), both having one match remaining.
After being sent in to bat, the Pride immediately found themselves on the back foot when Zachary McCaskie was run out off the second ball of the inning with just two runs on the board.
However, Leniko Boucher and Raymon Reifer made amends in a 136-run partnership for the second wicket. which put the Pride in a comfortable position of 138 for one.
Offspinner Mark Deyal finally got the breakthrough for the Red Force when he bowled Boucher for 81 from 72 balls, inclusive of 10 fours and one six.
Reifer then shared a 38-run stand with Kevin Wickham before he was also bowled by Deyal for 70 from 94 balls, to put them in a good position at 176 for two.
The Red Force then seized control of the contest as the Pride lost their last seven wickets for 67 runs, with Yannich Cariah the main destroyer.
After Deyal bowled Pride captain Kyle Mayers for 12, Cariah bagged the wickets of Wickham for 30, Demetrius Richards for 19, Kemar Smith for 12, and Nathan Sealy for a duck to see the Pride lose their momentum.
Cariah finished with 4-53, and Deyal took 3-32.
The Pride then had very little success in the field as the Red Force’s top order put them to the sword.
Ottley and fellow opener Tion Webster added 86 runs inside 14 overs to give the home side a solid start.
Offspinner Kemar Smith got the lone breakthrough for the Pride when he dismissed Webster for 41 from 33 balls, which included three fours and three sixes.
There would be no further success for the Pride, however, as none of the eight bowlers used by Mayers proved effective during Ottley’s and Jangoo’s rampage.
SUMMARISE SCORES
PRIDE 258-9 in 45 overs (Leniko Boucher 80, Raymon Reifer 70, Kevin Wickham 30, Demetrius Richards 19, Matthew Jones 16 not out, Kyle Mayers 12, Kemar Smith 11; Yannic Cariah 4-53, Mark Deyal 3-32).
RED FORCE 259-1 in 43.3 overs (Kjorn Ottley 112 not out, Amir Jangoo 93 not out, Tion Webster 41).
(CMC)
