Pooran top scores with 89 for TT Red Force

COLIN BENJAMIN

NICHOLAS Pooran’s highest score on List A aided TT Red Force in posting a competitive total in their opening game of the CWI Regional Super50 2018 against defending champions, Windward Islands Volcanoes up the press time at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair, yesterday.

Winning the toss in a rain-affected encounter, that commenced at 5 pm and was reduced to 37 overs, the Volcanoes sent the Red Force in to bat and they posted 220/8.

Pooran topscored with 89 (61 balls, seven sixes and six fours), which was his first half-century, in his 13th match at this level.

He was supported by Sunil Narine (34) and Dwayne Bravo (25). Barbados-born pacer Kyle Mayers was the main wicket-taker for the Volcanoes with 4/60 in his eight overs.

Darren Bravo did not play since he is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered while batting in last month’s CPL final.

Lendl Simmons (11) got the Red Force off to a perfect start hitting left-arm quick Delorn Johnson for two boundaries in the opening over, before Johnson dismissed him in third over caught by Devon Smith at first slip in the third over.

Red Force then went into a mini collapse as Evin Lewis (11), captain Denesh Ramdin (two), Kieron Pollard (duck) and Barbados-born player Kyle Hope (25) were dismissed cheaply, leaving the hosts precariously placed at 70/5 in the eighth over.

The Red Force’s recovery was built on the back of the 43-run sixth wicket partnership between Pooran and Dwayne Bravo, before the crucial 79-run seventh wicket alliance with Narine that propelled them past the 200-mark.

At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, the West Indies B posted a challenging 303/8 in 50 overs against Canada, courtesy of a century from captain Marlon Samuels (101) and useful knocks from Yannic Cariah (73) and opener Kimani Melius (46).