Trini Post

Andrew Flintoff took a hat-trick as England achieved their first one-day series victory in the West Indies by winning the deciding game by 26 runs. In a match reduced to 29 overs per side Kevin Pietersen (48) and Ravi Bopara (44) shared 80 from 14 overs and Paul Collingwood hit an unbeaten 35. Chasing 173, the home side lost Chris Gayle for a third ball duck but Dwayne Bravo shared 55 with Kieron Pollard.

Both fell in two balls and Flintoff soon settled it, finishing with 5-19.
It was a jubilant finale to a long winter for England, which threatened to go without a victory following Test and one-day series defeats in India and a 1-0 reverse in the Test series here. Flintoff’s dramatic hat-trick is the first by an England player in overseas one-day internationals.

There was a four-hour delay because of the wet outfield but the match was all set to begin as a 33-over contest. England started badly, losing skipper Andrew Strauss to the first ball of the second over as Ravi Rampaul made an immediate impact in his first one-day international for over a year. Pietersen struck imperious drives through the covers for four off successive Fidel Edwards deliveries as 35 came from the six overs of the compulsory powerplay.

The fifty stand was recorded from as many balls, Pietersen thumping a Rampaul slower ball straight down the ground for six and Bopara also clearing the ropes with a pull off Darren Sammy. Sammy, the first St Lucian to play for the West Indies, dived forward but it flicked up off his wrists and appeared to bounce on the ground then be trapped under him as he lay on the turf and claimed the catch.

Four wickets fell for 24 in five and a half overs, Bopara’s enterprising innings ending when he top-edged a flick to leg. Collingwood recorded the 50 stand from 45 balls in the final over with a deft glance for four but the big moment came in the first over of the Windies innings.The England all-rounder claimed 2-7 from his opening three-over spell, first dismissing Ramnaresh Sarwan, whose fluent 23 ended when he backed away to one that bounced just that touch more and got a thin edge through to keeper Prior.

By: Guardian

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GEORGETOWN–England won the first one-dayer after a calamitous misreading of the rain regulations by the West Indies coach. Australian John Dyson waved his batsmen in when they were offered the light with 27 needed from 22 balls. But Stuart Broad’s vital wicket had made all the difference, and England’s total of 270-7 gave them a one-run win under Duckworth-Lewis rules.

West Indies finished on 244-7, with the excellent Broad taking 3-41 as England scraped their first win of the winter. Paul Collingwood (69) and Owais Shah (62) did the bulk of the scoring for England after they had won an important toss on a slow wicket in Guyana. England’s bowlers generally did a fine job in defending the total, although a single Steve Harmison over which Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed for 26 at a crucial late stage nearly undid so much of the good work. As it happened, West Indies were ahead of the “par” score under the Duckworth-Lewis system when the 47th over began, and the umpires hovered over their light meters.

But after Broad had sent down a wide and two legitimate deliveries, the second of which trapped Denesh Ramdin lbw, the batsmen were offered the light, and Dyson beckoned his batsmen into the pavilion. A confusing interlude ensued before a winner was declared, as Dyson approached the match officials with his set of rules. But he appeared to have forgotten to take into account the wicket of Ramdin which turned a West Indies win into an English one. A far more straightforward conclusion appeared on the cards for much of the West Indies chase. Once Broad had removed Chris Gayle early on – lbw to a ball that straightened off the wicket – England had an obvious initiative.

And despite the best efforts of Ramnaresh Sarwan (57) and Lendl Simmons (62), the required run rate climbed to 7.22 towards the end of a marathon 125-run stand which soaked up 27 overs. Simmons certainly rode his luck at times. He should have been run out by Ravi Bopara on 36, and after he had added a further 10 Broad badly misjudged a catch in the deep. In between there were some terrific shots, including a straight six off Gareth Batty and another big hit off Dimitri Mascarenhas which almost cleared the longest boundary on the ground. But of the two, it was Sarwan who was first to fall, tamely caught at short midwicket as he mistimed a flick off Collingwood.

By:  Guardian

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Pint-sized T&T opening batsman Adrian Barath fashioned a spectacular hundred against the Leeward Islands, to enhance the Carnival celebrations which took place at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine. On the opening day of the crucial sixth round fixture of the West Indies Cricket Board Four-day Tournament, the 19-year-old Barath struck a magnificent unbeaten 163 to guide the title-chasing T&T to a position of strength on 280 for four at the close of an extended day’s play.

The left-handed Sherwin Ganga is the other not out batsman on 20. It was Barath’s third Regional First-Class hundred, to follow his maiden century of 131 against this same team in 2007 at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva and 101 against the Windward Islands at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre also in 2007. He also eclipsed his previous best score of 132 made against England earlier this month at Warner Park in St Kitts. The former West Indies youth batsman has so far batted for 362 minutes and has struck 21 fours and two massive sixes.

Earlier, under over cast conditions at the venue in East Trinidad, the Leewards, led by discarded West Indies batsman Runako Morton, won the toss and inserted the homesters. The visitors left out Steve Liburd and Akito Willett from their 13-man squad, while T&T dropped Samuel Badree, Richard Kelly and Navin Stewart from their final eleven, allowing former West Indies youth off-spinner Sunil Narine to make his regional First-Class debut. Justin Guillen filled the opening spot left vacant by Lendl Simmons who is on duty with the West Indies team against England in Antigua.

Partnered by regular opening batsman, Barath, Guillen for once failed to impress and was trapped in front to pacer Robert Joseph for seven with the total on 13, thus justifying Morton’s decision to field first. However, Barath took over the show with skipper Daren Ganga bent on playing the supporting role. Barath brought up his half-century with an extravagant cover drive off medium pacer Gavin Tonge. His landmark came in 74 minutes off 58 balls and was enriched with nine glorious fours. An early lunch was taken because of rain and T&T went to the interval on 89 for one with Barath on 55 and Ganga (D) 19. On the resumption, Barath continued to flay the mediocre Leewards’ bowling attack with a wide array of shots on either side of the wicket.

He reached his century with a boundary off out-of-favour West Indies off-spinner Omari Banks, much to the delight of the UWI students who were in a festive mood during their Carnival celebrations yesterday. It came in 150 minutes off 117 balls and was embellished with 17 fours and a six. Barath and Ganga (D) featured in an enterprising second-wicket partnership of 159 in 167 minutes, before the latter departed for a solid 48. Ganga (D) was caught at the wicket by Devon Thomas off Tonge’s bowling.

By: NAZ YACOOB of Guardian

Back on track! T&T duly completed a 176-run victory over the Windward Islands on the fourth and final day of the WICB Regional First Class match, at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre. Scores: T&T 310 and 243 for 5 declared, Windwards 181 and 206. The defeat prompted the resignation of Windwards skipper, Rawle Lewis who said, he thinks the team needs new blood to take it forward. Lewis said he would however continue with the team as just a player, if selected.

With the weather a constant threat at the Southern venue, T&T did everything right when play got underway yesterday. The Windwards resumed on the overnight position off 82 for three in pursuit of 373 runs for victory. Amit Jaggernauth sent a message to the touring England team, by snaring six wickets to lead his team to victory. The man, who stood alone for the Windwards, was out of favour West Indies all rounder Darren Sammy who scored a pugnacious 61.

Ganga opened the day’s proceedings with his trusted spinners Dave Mohammed and Amit Jaggernauth and the latter struck very early on.
He removed Andre Fletcher first for 14, caught by Adrian Barath close in. The score at this point read 90 for four and with the addition off just eight runs, Jaggie did his thing again. He sent back Liam Sebastien as Atiba was alert enough to pouch the offering. The score stood at 98 for five and the end was near. Sammy came in to join Kevin James and they added 38 runs for the sixth wicket.

The obdurate James was then out foxed by Jaggernauth and caught behind for 17. Skipper Rawle Lewis then made his entry and together with Sammy took the score to 180. Sammy, in the process, brought up his half century off 78 balls with five fours and two sixes.

By: VINODE MAMCHAN of Guardian

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A late afternoon burst of three wickets by medium pacer Richard Kelly gave T&T an opportunity to push for first innings points, despite rain which wrecked the penultimate day’s play. Kelly stole the spotlight late in the afternoon in the West Indies Cricket Board Four-day match against Jamaica, yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Kelly of local club Merry Boys Sports bagged three wickets for 34 runs after Jamaica had dominated the proceedings in the contest so far. Chasing the home team first innings total of 202, defending champions Jamaica were cruising at 136 for two, until the introduction of Kelly. The right-arm bowler picked up three wickets for nine runs from 17 deliveries , as the visitors slipped to 148 for five, still needing a further 55 runs with five wickets intact for the all important first innings points.

The burly Kelly, who bowled 9.5 overs, accounted for opposition’s skipper Tamar Lambert (11), caught by wicketkeeper Gibran Mohammed to leave the Jamaica on 136 for three. Ten runs later he picked up the scalp of Donavan Pagon (41) by the same route, and just before the close, he shattered the stumps of night watchman Andre Russell (2) to leave the Jamaicans on the backfoot on 148 for five. Former West Indies batsman Wavell Hinds is the not out batsman on six. Opening batsman Brenton Parchment with a gritty 54 is the leading scorer for Jamaica. He batted for 139 minutes, faced 121 balls and struck six fours and a six.

He shared in an opening partnership of 64 off 153 balls with Danza Hyatt who made 24. Other good contribution came from Pagon who hit five fours in his knock which spanned 120 minutes and 116 balls. Earlier, T&T resumed under heavy overcast conditions at 9.30 am, on 189 for seven and were dismissed for 2002. Left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed (0)was bowled by leg-spinner Gavin Wallace with the first ball of the day’s play.

Off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth (6) averted the hattrick but did not last long as he was bowled all over the shop by probing leg-spinner Odean Brown, leaving Kelly unbeaten on 25 made in 69 minutes and which included two sixes.
Injured T&T allrounder Rayad Emrit did not bat. Brown was the leading wickettaker for Jamaica with four for 61 off 24.5 overs, and received good support from Wallace with two for 33 and former West Indies allrounder Dave Bernard two for 50. Jamaica started their reply before the lunch interval and took the score to 74 for one at the break, with Parchment on 42 and Pagon five. They had lost the wicket of Hyatt (24) caught at long-on by Darren Bravo off Sherwin Ganga’s bowling.

There were persistent showers during the lunch interval and play eventually got going at 1.55 pm. But with the score on 90, Parchment was caught at cover off Mohammed’s (D) bowling, giving the T&T team a glimmer of hope in the contest. However, at the tea interval 2.40 pm, , rain came again, and play got re-started at 4.20 pm. And to add insult to the miseries, the water-hog (machine which removes water), malfunctioned and the removal of the water on the tarpaulin covers had to be done manually. An interesting morning is expected, weather permitting with play today scheduled to start at 9.30 am.

By: NAZ YACOOB of Guardian

T&T cricketers led by a defiant half-century from skipper Daren Ganga, crawled to 145 for four on a rain-affected opening day’s play against Jamaica, in the second round of the West Indies Cricket Board Four-Day competition, yesterday, at the Queen’s Park Oval. There were two interruptions in the day’s play during which 24 overs were lost. When umpires Khemraj Barrasingha and Goland Greaves offered light to the batsmen in semi-darkness at 5.45 pm, left-handers Darren Bravo was not out on 15 and Sherwin Ganga unbeaten on four. Team bowler Dave Bernard Jr was the main wicket-taker for Jamaicans with two for 38 from 16 overs. There was a wicket a piece for pacer Andre Russell (1-20) and leg-spinner Odean Brown (1-29).

On a pitch that had a tinge of green and with the opposition bowlers extracting considerable bounce and lateral movement, the T&T batsmen were determined to stay and play only at the loose deliveries, with Ganga (D) leading from the front. Ganga was the fourth batsman to be dismissed for a disciplined 57 made in 209 minutes from 153 balls with seven fours. His unfortunate dismissal came after he was bowled by Bernard, he tried to leave alone a delivery, which nipped back sharply, taking an inside edge onto his stumps. Ganga (D) shared in an important second wicket partnership of 106 in 163 minutes with the impressive left-handed opening batsman Justin Guillen who contributed a solid 48. Earlier, the teams played with unchanged line-ups from their opening round matches.

By: NAZ YACOOB of Guardian

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Trinidad & Tobago’s slow bowlers helped put their side in a favourable position after Darren Bravo narrowly missed a maiden first-class hundred in the WICB regional four-day match competition yesterday. Sherwin Ganga collected two wickets, while Dave Mohammed and Amit Jaggernauth each made a single strike, as Barbados, replying to Trinidad & Tobago’s first innings total of 264, reached 108 for four at the close on the second day of their first round match at the Police Sports Club. Opener Dale Richards was unbeaten on 60 and newcomer Rohan Nurse was not out on one at the close.

Bravo, the brother of West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, batted nearly 5-1/2 hours before he was the last T&T batsman dismissed about 20 minutes after lunch for a career-best 97 that held the second half of the visitors’ batting together. T&T’s new-ball pair of Rayad Emrit and Richard Kelly failed to make the breakthrough when Barbados started their innings, but things got quite interesting when Ganga, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, was introduced from the southern end after seven overs. Ganga struck in his first over, when he had left-handed opener Jason Haynes, the Barbados captain, caught at slip for six. T&T were held up, when Ryan Hinds joined Richards and they spent nearly 45 minutes defying the T&T slow bowlers to add a mere 15 runs from 13.1 overs. But Ganga struck again, when he had Hinds caught at mid-on for 10, as Barbados reached 46 for two at tea.

By: Guardian

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