Maraj, Bravo share Carib Beer honours

WHILE Trinidad and Tobago failed to qualify for the Carib Beer International Challenge Shield semi-finals, it was youthful stars Tishan Maraj, Dwayne Bravo and Amit Jaggernauth who shared this year’s Carib Beer Series honours.

The highly confident TT, led by Imran Jan, entered the fifth round match against Guyana at the Albion Development Centre ground in second position with 40 points. But they failed to even snatch one single point thereafter and succumbed to humiliating defeats to the Guyanese, Jamaicans and Barbadians. It was a big let down at Albion against a home team which had lost the services of three of their stalwarts in Mahendra Nagamootoo, Lennox Cush and Andre Percival — all dropped and replaced by newcomers Damodar Daesrath (21 years), Leon Johnson (16) and Zaheer Mohammed (18).

The whole momentum changed and Trinidad and Tobago’s surge to reach another semi-final bubbled over at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre where the Barbadians exhibited their superiority over the careless Trinidadians before their adoring fans. Even the presence of world-rated Brian Charles Lara in their line-up made no impact and even his contributions left everyone wondering as to what went wrong with TT’s best chance of forging a new spirit of hope and better feelings among the diehards. Last year, the West Indies B team held the powerful Indian A team to an exciting draw at the Kensington Oval and allowed Trinidad and Tobago to clinch the final qualifying berth and contested the Carib Beer International Challenge Shield. However, no such charity was forthcoming as the dumbfounded Guyanese team, sparked brilliant performances by their Test stars Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Mahendra Nagamootoo (re-instated after missing two matches) completed their final two matches with convincing victories and levelled their tally with Trinidad and Tobago’s 40.

 And having emerged victorious over the Trinidadians at Albion DC in the head to head contest, the Guyanese will clash with two-time Carib Beer Series back-to-back champion Barbados in the Carib Beer International Shield semi-finals. The triumphant Barbadians created history by winning all seven matches and maintained their overall regional supremacy once again under the leadership of former Test player Courtney Browne who led by example by copping the “Man of the Match” award with two superlative batting performances against Trinidad and Tobago at Guaracara Park last Saturday. Browne made 98 and 82 and astutely led his team to a comprehensive 246-run victory over the locals and denied them the opportunity of moving ahead in the competition. However, opener Tishan Maraj, Bravo and Jaggernauth were undoubtedly the shining lights for TT. Maraj impressed with his technique and temperament and recorded three half-centuries in the first two rounds against Leewards and the West Indies B and topped the team’s overall batting averages with 167 runs at 55.66.

Bravo topped the aggregate with 481 runs at 37.00. The attractive right-hander also registered his third regional century and TT’s highest individual score for the season with a brilliant 197 versus the West Indies B at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva. The Queen’s Park Club player also proved his all-round ability and was Trinidad and Tobago’s main strike bowler by getting wickets at crucial stages in all the matches except the final match against the Barbadians. He topped the averages with 28 wickets at 13.46 each. Off-spinner Jaggernauth, in his first senior season for TT, had the distinction of topping the team bowling aggregate with 30 wickets (22.36) and was third overall in the average behind newcomer Rayad Emrit who also impressed with 21 wickets at 21.57.

Former Jamaican hard-hitter Ricardo Powell, playing in Trinidad and Tobago colours for the first time, notched his second regional hundred after five years. He made 115 against Barbados in the first innings but lost his wicket at a crucial stage when the team needed him to push for at least first innings points. The lower batting order collapsed and TT feel short by twenty runs. Sherwin Ganga, Shazam Babwah and Gibran Mohammed also created a good impression among the other newcomers. Left-handed Ganga batted with aplomb and confidence against the Jamaicans and Barbadian West Indian fast bowlers Jerome Taylor, David Bernard, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore, Pedro Collins and Tino Best- all of whom faced the flashing blade of the young batting tyro who is prepared to carry the attack to the speedsters.

At times, he looked even more convincing than elder brother Daren whose hand injury in Jamaica restricted his strokeplay and dominance which he exerted last year when he established a new Trinidad and Tobago’s regional record aggregate of  723 runs. Babwah chalked up 94 versus Leewards and an even hundred — his first First Class triple-figure mark, against the visiting Kenyans at Shaw Park, Scarborough, Tobago. But he paid the price for ultra-aggressive shots against the other teams and recorded low scores. Mohammed did the wicketkeeper’s duties and finished the season with 22 dismissals.