TT batsmen fail by 61 runs

DISCOVERY BAY: Defending champion Barbados qualified again for the Red Stripe Bowl regional one-day cricket final with a convincing 61-run win yesterday over Trinidad and Tobago at the Kaiser Sports Club.

Barbados had 175 in 48.2 overs while Trinidad scored 114 in 36 overs. Barbados will defend their title tomorrow when they play Guyana at Kaiser. Guyana defeated Jamaica by four runs in the first semifinal on Thursday. Left-arm medium-fast bowler Ian Bradshaw was the hero of the Bajan victory, ending with the impressive figures of five wickets for 22 runs off his 10 overs. Barbadian captain Courtney Browne described Bradshaw’s performance as “brilliant” and lauded his team for a strong showing on the field. “We are a professional team and that’s what has kept us winning,” Browne said. Opening the bowling, Bradshaw rocked the Trinidadians with four quick wickets to leave them reeling at 23 for four. In his first over, he bowled Imran Jan for five and with his next delivery trapped star batsman Brian Lara leg before wicket for zero. Bradshaw struck again in his third over when he had Trinidad’s captain Daren Ganga caught driving for nine and in his fifth over caught Dwayne Bravo off his bowling for six. He picked up his fifth wicket with the last ball of his spell, inducing an edge from Aneil Kanhai to wicketkeeper Courtney Browne for 21.

Kanhai and Shazam Babwah, who made 30, put on 49 for the fifth wicket. Once they were out, Trinidad’s innings faltered with the last five wickets falling for 25 runs. Earlier, some spirited bowling and fielding from the Trinidadians helped them dismiss Barbados for what seemed to be an easy target to reach. The Bajans were restricted by some tight bowling from Bravo, bowling medium-pace, after Browne had won the toss. Bravo finished with four wickets for 34 runs off 6.2 overs, wrecking the middle-order by removing Ryan Hurley (26), Browne (22) and Vasbert Drakes (22). Dwayne Smith, batting at No 3, top-scored with 37 which included three fours and one six off fastbowler Mervin Dillon. Dillon, fellow fast bowler Rayed Emrit, and right-arm legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine supported Bravo with two wickets each.