T&T to defend Challenge title after crushing Barbados (Round 7, Day 4)
CMC | 31/03/08
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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Trinidad & Tobago earned the right to defend their Carib Beer Challenge title when they scored a commanding 250-run win over Barbados on the final day of their final round Carib Beer Series match Monday.
Playing at Guaracara Park, off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth captured seven for 45 to finish with match figures of 10 for 79, as Barbados, set 452 for victory, surrendered meekly for 201.
The result means that T&T cricketers will defend their Challenge Shield title against league champions Jamaica, in the April 24-28 match in Jamaica.
T&T captain Daren Ganga praised the crowd support as one of the factors behind his side's win.
"I think the crowd support at Guaracara Park has been tremendous over the years, and this game it again showed. I must thank them," Ganga said.
Barbados skipper Corey Collymore conceded that Barbados had thrown away the game on the first day.
"The game slipped away on the first day with some ragged fielding and out cricket, which set it up nicely for T&T," Collymore said.
Resuming on 175 for six, T&T added just 40 runs before declaring their innings at 215 for nine, with Rayad Emrit finishing unbeaten on 27 and medium-pacer Kevin Stoute taking six for 64.
In pursuit of their unlikely victory target, Barbados got a flying start from openers Dale Richards (77) and Jason Haynes (41) who posted 97 off 15.2 overs.
They were separated on the stroke of lunch when Haynes was caught on the square-leg boundary by Lendl Simmons off left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed.
In between, the powerful Richards brought up his half-century with huge six over square-leg off Jaggernauth.
After the break and with the total still on 97, Stoute fell without scoring to Jaggernauth before play was halted for half hour because of rain.
On resumption, Richards became Jaggernauth's second victim when he was caught by Richard Kelly to leave the Bajans in trouble on 134 for three.
Richards spent 97 minutes at the crease, faced 69 balls and struck 11 fours and two sixes.
All-rounder Dwayne Smith and Browne survived several anxious moments against the probing spin of Jaggernauth and Mohammed before Browne finally succumbed for 20 to a catch on the mid-wicket boundary by Jaggernauth off Mohammed.
At 146 for four, Barbados slipped further into trouble when Alcindo Holder (1) was caught by William Perkins at silly mid-off to give Jaggernauth his third wicket.
Jaggernauth picked up his fourth scalp when he had Smith (8) brilliantly caught on the square-leg boundary by Kelly to leave Barbados in dire straits on 156 for six.
Rain at 2.35 pm forced an early tea but there was no reprieve for the visitors as they collapsed dramatically.
