Awesome T&T crush Guyana to win 10th One-Day title

Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:12 AM

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CMC

Saturday, November 07, 2009

GEOREGTOWN, Guyana (CMC) - Irrepressible Trinidad & Tobago produced another sublime display as they thrashed Guyana by 81 runs in the final of the WICB President's Cup to clinch their 10th regional One-Day title on Thursday.

Inspired by half-centuries from the elegant Darren Bravo and the robust Man-of-the-Match Kieron Pollard, T&T piled up an imposing 286 for six from their allotted 50 overs, after winning the toss and batting first in the day/night affair at the National Stadium at Providence.

Guyana seemed to be making a fight of it at 92 for one in the 21st over but suffered a spectacular collapse, losing seven wickets for 37 runs in the space of 55 balls, to crash to a disappointing 205 all out off 44.3 overs.

Ramnaresh Sarwan stroked the top score of 59 but his run out formed part of the carnage, as medium pacer Pollard picked up three for 37 and pacer Ravi Rampaul (2-31) and left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed (2-38) snared two wickets apiece to help send the hosts' innings into terminal decline.

The victory completed a whirlwind month for T&T who shocked the international cricket fraternity in India last month by powering their way into the final of the Twenty20 Champions League before losing to New South Wales.

It was clear from the outset the defending regional One-Day champions seemed intent on compensating for that loss, as they roared out of the blocks to strike early blows in the contest.

The left-handed Darren Bravo, the younger brother of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, led the way by hammering 76 off 106 balls at the top of the order, while Pollard plundered 57 from 50 balls to boost the middle order.

West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin then kept the crowd entertained as he unleashed a blazing cameo in the latter stages of the innings, slamming a frenetic, unbeaten 44 from 24 balls, to ensure T&T sustained their momentum.

Hardly any bowler was spared and only off-spinner Royston Crandon with two for 62, managed to get among the wickets.

T&T menaced from the outset, with teenaged opener Adrian Barath striking a couple of hefty blows to get T&T away nicely.

He had scored 18 of the 24 on the board when he perished to a loose shot off fast bowler Esuan Crandon in the fifth over, as Guyana hit back.

It was to be Guyana's last real look-in as opener Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo then added 47 for the second wicket, to consolidate the innings.

When Simmons was run out by a smart piece of work from wicketkeeper Delbert Hicks at 71 for two in the 18th over, T&T's batsmen put their feet on the accelerator as Guyana's bowlers wilted.

Captain Ganga, whose 46 required 52 balls and included a four and a six, joined Darren Bravo to post a further 93 from 105 balls for the third wicket.

The Trinidadian skipper became Royston Crandon's first wicket at 164 for three in the 35th over but Darren Bravo and Pollard blasted 42 from 29 balls for the fourth wicket to up the tempo in the middle overs.

Darren Bravo departed at 206 for four and his older brother Dwayne followed him cheaply for three, 11 balls later at 215 for five, but any thoughts Guyana had of restricting the Trinidadians were quickly dispersed.

Striking the ball cleanly and powerfully, the strongly built Pollard clobbered two fours and three sixes, while Ramdin reeled off two fours and four sixes, as T&T raised 69 from 50 balls in a scintillating end to the innings.

Guyana started disastrously losing Sewnarine Chattergoon lbw to Rampaul for two in the sixth over of the innings with the score on three, with the hosts already finding difficulty in scoring.

Sarwan, however, overcame a period of uncertainty against the faster bowlers to add a crucial 89 off 94 balls for the second wicket with Travis Dowlin, putting the Guyana innings back on course.

While Sarwan struck seven fours off 63 balls with daring stroke-play, Dowlin cracked 41 from 70 balls in a more measured innings, counting four fours.

When Dowlin was taken at long-off off Mohammed in the 21st over, it triggered a collapse from which Guyana would not recover.

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