U-19s crush Guyana,advance to TCL final

After being comprehensively beaten in their opening round encounter by defending champions Jamaica, the Trinidadians needed to win their two other Zone "B" league matches to earn a berth in the final.

Earlier this week they swept past hosts Leewards Islands and owed yesterday’s triumph on a compelling last day’s play to off-spinner Sunil Narine who captured five wickets for 14 runs.

Guyana, who won their first two matches were set 196 to win yesterday but succumbed to the spin bowling of Narine and Rishi Bachan who returned figures of four wickets for eight runs.

The Guyanese were routed for 68 shortly after tea.

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago resuming from 170 for nine, were dismissed for 186 in their second innings.

Trinidad and Tobago will now play Barbados in a four-day final which starts on Saturday.

Yesterday Barbados whipped defending champions Jamaica by nine wickets in their Zone "A" Match at Arnos Vale "A" Ground.

Manager of the Trinidad and Tobago team Roland Sampath praised Narine yesterday and described him as a "special bowler." "Sunil is a fantastic off-spinner. He is a bowler with a difference and used his doosra to telling effect yesterday," an elated Sampath said in a telephone interview after the match in St Vincent.

The former national allrounder however reiterated that the bowlers on the Trinidad and Tobago team were shouldering all the responsibilities. And he called on his batsmen to step up and do their part.

"The batsmen are not coming good. But I believe that they are big occasion players and will show their true colours in the final. They need to apply themselves and back up their bowlers," said Sampath yesterday. The former policeman said that there was nothing magical about the team’s performance but the top order batsmen must do better if Trinidad and Tobago are to beat Barbados in the final and win the TCL Championship.

Sampath said that his team had the benefit of about 23 days practising in the indoor nets of the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre at Balmain in Couva.

"Indoors the ball comes up to the bat at a consistent level. However what we encountered in St Vincent were less than perfect pitches and I think the batsmen are still trying to adjust to the unpredictable bounce,’ said Sampath.

However he was optimistic that they will peak at the right time and set up a formidable total against Barbados in the final which will give the bowlers more leeway to wreak their havoc as they have been doing so far in the tournament. Sampath said he expected big things in the final stage from Adrian Barath, Williams Perkins and Jason Mohammed who are yet to fulfil their promise since arriving in St Vincent and the Grenadines. "They have been batting well and making big scores in National League cricket and I see no reason why they cannot go out with a big bang," Sampath said.

Summarised scores: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 133 - Kieron Pollard 74, Sunil Narine 17, David Wallace 4/14, Jeremy Gordon 3/15 and 186 - Marlon Barclay 45, Rishi Bachan 43, Kieron Pollard 26, Jason Sripal 6/51, Ryan Hercules 3/30 vs GUYANA 124 - Richard Ramdeen 43, Gajanand Singh 38, Dane Teelucksingh 6/31 and 68 - Jason Sripal 24 not out, Sunil Narine 5/14, Rishi Bachan 4/8.

At the Arnos Vale ‘A’ Ground - JAMAICA 110 and 150 - Albert Gopie 56 not out, Jamie Trenchfield 26, Andre McCarthy 12, Jevon Searles 4/15, Steve Pinder 4/39, Nicolai Charles 2/43 vs BARBADOS 216 and 45/1 - Jonathan Carter 19 not out, Omar Phillips 15 not out.

At the Arnos Vale ‘B’ Ground - WINDWARDS 261 and 145 - Earven Fredericks 26, Donwell Hector 21, Justin Athanaze 3/21, Dillon Skellekie 3/35, Chad Hampson 2/15 vs LEEWARDS 147 and 187/9 - Javia Liburd 65, O. Peters 16, Alan Powell 14, Earven Fredericks 3/17, Haniff Alexander 3/41, Nelon Pascal 2/38.