Narine spins TT to big victory

Red Force spinner Sunil Narine and pacer Sheldon Cottrell destroyed the Combined Campuses and Colleges yesterday to help engineer a massive nine-wicket victory in the Regional Super50 competition at Kensington Oval, Barbados. Licking their wounds after an embarrassing 171-run defeat to Barbados on Tuesday, the Red Force came out like a team on a mission and had the schoolboys reeling on 22 for three with left-arm fast bowler Cottrell (3/40) responsible for all three dismissals. Narine then spun his magic to dismantle the middle and lower order to finish with immaculate figures of five wickets for 10 runs from 7.4 overs as CCC were bundled out for 101.

Red Force, led by an unbeaten 70 from Evin Lewis, romped to victory in just 11.2 overs.

Batting first after winning the toss, CCC would have been re-evaluating that decision after an opening burst from Cottrell left them in tatters. The Jamaican had both openers back in the pavilion in the first three overs of the match. He got rid of Kyle Corbin for duck after four balls, then bowled Kjorn Ottley for 8 in his second over.

He added Oraine Olando Williams to his wicket column, removing him for seven, caught by Denesh Ramdin.

The experienced Bajan and former West Indies all-rounder Ryan Hinds tried to repair the innings with a knock of 32 but when he fell to Kharry Pierre, CCC’s backbone was broken and the rest of batsmen surrendered meekly.

Narine was simply unplayable and had the CCC batsmen in school trying to make sense of the lesson he was teaching them. He had Yannick Ottley trapped LBW for 17, dismissed Vikash Mohan for nine, had Kenneth Pennyfeather caught and bowled for duck, and struck Aaron Daley plumb in front for six, to leave CCC on 101 for eight. Pierre chimed in with the wicket of Carlos Maynard out bowled for four, but fittingly Narine wrapped up the innings with the scalp of Ojay Shields, caught by Pooran for the third duck of the match.

Red Force made light work of the small total with Lews blasting a quick 70 off 41 balls with nine fours and four sixes. Tion Webster was the only casualty, but Lewis and Amir Jangoo took TT home.