Rayad Emrit castled Jomel Warrican to spark wild celebrations among the 7,000 fans at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday night, as the country won its 12th regional limited overs title, denting Barbados Pride by 72 runs in the finals of the 2016 Nagico Super50 Cup.
A sea of red kept up the Carnival celebrations as fans put the five killings on the day behind them to celebrate 11 good citizens who brought glory to the country. For their efforts, members of the Red Force walked away with US$10,000, while the Barbadians got US$5,000.
Stylish batsman Darren Bravo smashed a brilliant 97 to guide his team to a healthy 270 for seven, leaving the bowlers to perform the final rites, dismissing the Barbadians for 198.
Man-of-the-match Bravo followed his 82 and 95 in his two previous innings with a matured innings and would have counted himself unlucky to not register his sixth regional List A century, as he edged Jason Holder to stand in wicketkeeper Shai Hope, playing an expansive drive. His eight fours and two sixes which came from104 balls, was the backbone of the T&T innings, as he shared important partnerships, first with skipper Jason Mohammed (31) which was worth 75 for the fourth wicket, and then 57 with Denesh Ramdin (26) for the fifth wicket, to set up a strong batting performance for the home team.
The game was as good as over after Rayad Emrit and Marlon Richards sliced through the top of Barbados batting, leaving them limping at 31/4.
Richards removed the dangerous Dwayne Smith (5) and Sharmarh Brooks (2) while Emrit bowled Kraigg Brathwaite (5) and Jonathon Carter (0).
Opener Shai Hope and his captain Jason Holder revived the innings adding 32 for the fifth wicket before off spinner Jon Ross Jaggesar dismissed Holder (14) and bowled Shane Dowrich (14), to leave Barbados 80-6.
Opener Kyle Hope who defied the attack as wickets fell around him added 59 with up and coming West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite (46), but the latter’s dismissal at 139 saw wickets tumbling and the Bajans plunging to 149 for 9 before there was a last wicket flurry from Sulieman Benn (27 not out) and Warrican (24), who added 49 for the last wicket.
Hope made 50 from 92 balls and struck five fours.
Emrit was T&T’s most successful bowler with 3-46 while Richards (2-38), Jaggesar (2-30) and Hosein (2-55) lent admirable support.
Earlier, Barbados won the toss and sent T&T in. Openers Kyle Hope and Evin Lewis batted with little difficulties, adding 54 for the first wicket until Lewis was given out caught behind off Brathwaite for 25. The opener looked disappointed at the dismissal and television reviews suggested that umpire Patrick Gustard made a wrong call. His 25 runs came off 34 balls with four fours. Hope and Kjorn Ottley took the score into the 70s but a double strike brought Barbados right back into the game. Hope the Christchurch born Barbadian finally allowed his countrymen to breathe, as he left the arena leg before to Dwayne Smith for 34. He faced 52 balls and struck six fours. Six runs later an uppish drive brought the downfall of Ottley for 10.
At 78 for three, the Red Force were a spot of bother but Bravo heroics set the tone for what was to be a T&T victory.
