Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Jamaica's opening batsman Xavier Marshall cuts the ball into his stumps to be bowled by Samuel Badree (out of pic) during last night's Stanford 20/20 final against Trinidad and Tobago, at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua. - Photo courtesy of the Stanford 20/20 website

COOLIDGE, Antigua:

In a one-sided contest, Jamaica were embarrassed by Trinidad & Tobago in last night's Stanford 20/20 final at the Stanford Cricket Ground.

Jamaica were blown away for 91 in 16.4 overs, to which Trinidad & Tobago emphatically replied with 94 for one in 9.2 overs.

In a most horrendous batting display, Jamaica, which boast the strongest batting line-up in regional cricket, looked absolutely clueless against Trinidad & Tobago's bowlers from the first over.

Like the semi-final against Guyana, Jamaica got off to a bad start when Shawn Findlay edged the second ball from Rayad Emrit to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Out of trouble

Samuels was again forced to pull Jamaica out of trouble, but after adding 42 for the second wicket with opener Xavier Marshall, who replaced Chris Gayle at the top of the innings, things took an awful turn when the partnership was broken.

Marshall's innings of 20, which included a six and a four, was ended when he dragged on a deli-very from Samuel Badree on to his middle stump while Samuels, who pulled Dwayne Bravo's second delivery to the midwicket boundary, was caught two deliveries after by Simmons at 48 for three. He made 27, which included four fours.

Worse for JAMAICA

It got worse for Jamaica when the out-of-form Gayle (six) was bowled by Dave Mohammed, who also removed in-form batsman Danza Hyatt (four), stumped by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

After Hyatt's dismissal at 63 for five, Jamaica's struggle continued and in the 16th over, Carlton Baugh Jr, after hitting Mohammed over long-on for six, became the first of three wickets to fall in the same over. Bernard was run out for one and Taylor was bowled for zero.

Opening pacer Emrit returned to pick up the wicket of Hinds, caught by Bravo on the long-on boundary and bowled Nikita Miller the very next ball for one to end Jamaica's misery.

With a mere 4.55 runs per over required, Trinidad & Tobago took seven runs off Daren Powell's opening over, but Ramdin, who flicked Taylor's first delivery over square leg for six, edged to Baugh two deliveries after at 14 for one.

However, that was all the success Jamaica would get. When Powell and Taylor completed four overs between them, Trinidad & Tobago had raced to 36 for one. Simmons ended Jamaica's misery with a six off Samuels over long-on.

In the unbroken 74-run stand, Perkins ended on 50, which came off just 33 balls laced with six fours and a six, while Simmons' 26 contained four fours and a six.

Trinidad and Tobago won the US$1 million first place cash award, while Jamaica got US$500,000 for its runner-up effort.

The winning Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Association also got US$200,000, while the Jamaica Cricket Association got US$100,000.

Trinidad and Tobago's Dave Mohammed earned US$100,000 for being Man of the Match, while his teammate, Dwayne Bravo, earned US$25,000 for the Play of the Match, for the run-out of David Bernard Jr.