Feb. 24, 2021, 11:01 p.m.
1st semi-final of CG Insurance Super50 Cup
Venue: Coolidge Cricket Ground
Toss: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force won the toss and bowled
Result: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force beat Jamaica Scorpions by six wickets
Scoreboard: https://www.windiescricket.com/matches/206994/
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force made it six wins in a row, as they produced commanding performance to power past the Jamaica Scorpions and into the CG Insurance Super50 Final. This victory was first set up by three key efforts by Ravi Rampaul with the ball then complemented by Lendl Simmoms and Nicholas Pooran with the bat.
Firstly Rampaul, in claiming to his second CG Insurance Man-of-the-Match award of the tournament with figures of 10-0-29-4, played a key role in restricting the Scorpions to below par score of 255-7 on a very good batting surface.
In reply batting second for the sixth consecutive match, Simmons (63) his 27th List A half century set the perfect platform, before Pooran unbeaten innings of 54 his 11th List A half century, finished things off in style with eight overs to spare.
“Tonight was good and it was one of our more complete games. All credit to the bowlers for limiting them to 250 on that track because you (bowlers) weren’t getting much out of it,” said Red Force captain Kieron Pollard.
Kieron Pollard: Post match TT RED FORCE vs JAMAICA SCORPIONS SEMIFINAL 1Play Video
“Ravi showed his experience, Imran (Khan) showed his experience. We knew once we kept them to under 260 with our batting lineup although we played a batter short, we could try to overhaul that target. So well done to the players, Simmons showed his class, Mohammed continued with runs and Pooran got some runs behind his name.”
Ravi Rampaul: Man Of the Match TT RED FORCE VS JAMAICA SCORPIONS SEMIFINAL 1Play Video
Jamaica lost the rely wicket of Aldaine Thomas but after that John Campbell (88) and Brandon King (58) played well. When they reached 95-1 in the 22nd over, Brandon King smashed Jason Mohammed for a big straight six to bring up his second half-century of the tournament and versus Trinidad & Tobago.
The Red Force would strike five overs later with the Scorpions 113-2 in the 27th over, when King gave Anderson Phillip his second bowled, playing back to a delivery that kept a bit low. This ended the 108-run second-wicket alliance between Campbell and King. At 168-2 in 35th, the Scorpions looked set for a big final charge. However the Campbell/McCarthy third wicket partnership of 58 runs would end as McCarthy (35) hit a catch off veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan to Rampaul at leg on.
Attempting to defend that total, the Scorpions almost got a perfect wicket-taking start in the first over, but Nkrumah Bonner dropped a difficult long on boundary catch from Simmons off Scorpions off-spinner Jamie Merchant. When Red Force were 29-0 in the fifth over, Evin Lewis (14) was also dropped by Campbell at first slip by the unlucky Merchant again. As the big hitting opening duo raced to their 50-partnership in the eighth over, those missed catches were even more critical.
Leading up to the 25th over, Jamaica got three wickets, the last of which when Simmons (68) skied a catch off Allen to Bonner at long on boundary on second attempt. Despite T&T further losing Jason Mohammed (41) bowled by Odean Smith, Pooran (54 not out) was joined by captain Pollard (36 not out) who quickly hit five massive sixes to celebrate the win in style and get ready for Saturday’s grand final.
-CWI
