GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):
DECISIVE FAST bowling from West Indies pacer Ravi Rampaul and a blistering half century from man-of-the-match Lendl Simmons powered Trinidad and Tobago to a comprehensive, seven-wicket win over the Windward Islands in the KFC Cup yesterday.
Playing in the Zone A match at Bourda, Rampaul snatched four for 26 to undermine the Windwards for 142 off 45.5 overs after T&T won the toss and Simmons then slammed 68 from 61 deliveries as the defending champs raced to 144 for three in exactly 20 overs, securing two bonus points in the process.
The loss left the Windward Islands with no real hope of securing a semi-final spot.
Dealt a blow
Rampaul kicked things off in the fourth over when he trapped West Indies teammate Devon Smith lbw for 10 and followed up in the sixth over when he had Heron Campbell caught at the wicket for a duck at 16 for two.
The 23-year-old also had Donwell Hector struck in front for eight, with the score on 29 for three in the eighth over and his fourth scalp was that of opener Andre Fletcher (12) who resisted for 37 deliveries before he was caught at second slip by Kieron Pollard.
Trinidad's response was dealt an immediate blow when the fiery Grenadian fast bowler Nelon Pascal forced Sherwin Ganga to play on to his stumps in the first over, leaving the score at four for one.
Simmons and captain Daren Ganga, who hit 24 from 30 balls, combined to put the game out of the Windward Islands reach with a 73-ball, 80-run second-wicket partnership.
The ultra-aggressive Simmons ripped apart the Windwards attack, slamming nine fours and two sixes as he raced to 50 from 49 deliveries.
He eventually fell lbw to Mervin Matthew but by then, the game was virtually decided with the score on 105 for three in the 14th over.
Windward Islands innings
| D. Smith lbw Rampaul | 10 |
| A. Fletcher c Ramdin b Rampaul | 12 |
| H. Campbell c Pollard b Rampaul | 0 |
| D. Hector lbw Rampaul | 8 |
| D. Sammy c Dillon b Bravo | 34 |
| L. Sebastien c Rampaul b Bravo | 7 |
| R. Lewis c S Ganga b Dillon | 9 |
| L. James c S Ganga b Emrit | 9 |
| S. Shillingford not out | 22 |
M. Matthew c sub (Jaggernauth) b Pollard | 1 |
| N. Pascal run out | 4 |
| Extras (w20, b1, lb5) | 26 |
| TOTAL: (all out - 45.5 overs) | 142 |
Fall: 1-15, 2-16, 3-29, 4-42, 5-78, 6-100, 7-106, 8-112, 9-124, 10-142. Bowling: Dillon 10-2-20-1, Rampaul 8-2-26-4, Emrit 8-0-26-1, Bravo 8-1-27-2, S Ganga 6.5-0-21-0, Pollard 5-0-16-1. Trinidad and Tobago innings L. Simmons lbw Matthew | 68 |
| S. Ganga b Pascal | 0 |
| D. Ganga c Matthew b Lewis | 24 |
| D. Bravo not out | 31 |
| K. Pollard not out | 11 |
| Extras (w6, nb1, b1, lb2) | 10 |
TOTAL: (for three wkts - 20 overs) 144 Fall: 1-4 (S Ganga 0.5), 2-84 (D Ganga 13.0), 3-105 (Simmons 13.4). Bowling: Pascal 3-0-30-1 (w2), Sammy 5-0-20-0, Matthew 5-1-27-1 (w4), Lewis 4-0-35-1 (nb1), Shillingford 2-0-22-0, Sebastien 1-0-7-0. Result: T&T won by seven wickets. Man of the Match: Lendl Simmons.
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