Red Force staff slams CCC tactics: 'Cricket was the loser'

“CRICKET was the loser.”

This was the emotional response of one member of the TT Red Force staff when asked to respond to the questionable tactics used by the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) to snatch a no result against TT in the CG United Super50 Cup, at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair on Monday.

Red Force were 74/1 after 15 overs, chasing 201 for victory, when rain stopped play for three hours.

After the rain delay, Red Force were set a revised target of 115 in 26 overs. Play resumed at 5 pm with light already fading.

Chasing the revised score, TT's victory charge was stalled by CCC, who bowled just 3.5 overs in 35 minutes.

The umpires called the game off because of bad light at 5.35 pm. Red Force were only able to reach 97/1 in 18.5 overs.

A team batting second must face at least 20 overs before the Duckworth-Lewis method is used.

On multiple occasions CCC bowlers were almost in their delivery stride when they stopped. Jason Mohammed, who was batting with Kjorn Ottley, was visibly frustrated, gesturing at the opposition with his hands.

In another incident, a CCC player fell to the ground while fielding close to the boundary and one of the team’s trainers came onto the field, which caused a further delay.

CCC, captained by Trinidadian Denesh Ramdin, also bowled four of their five wides when play resumed at 5 pm.

At the Brian Lara Pavilion, TT players were clearly disgruntled by what was happening on the field.

Another talking point after the match was how did the umpires determine that 11 overs could have been completed when the match resumed at 5 pm. At this time of the year in Trinidad, natural light starts fading shortly after 5 pm.

After four matches, Red Force now have two wins, one loss and one no result.

CCC, batting first, were steady at the top of the order getting to 70/1 in the 19th over, led by former West Indies Under-19 player Kirstan Kallicharan.

Red Force fought back as Navin Bidaisee (17) and Kallicharan (37) fell in consecutive overs to leave CCC 72/3 in the 20th over.

Spin did the trick for Red Force as West Indies leg spinner Yannic Cariah dismissed Bidaisee and off spinner Mohammed removed Kallicharan.

The experienced Ramdin and Zavier Burton mounted a response. The pair put on 35 runs for the fourth wicket, but the Red Force bowlers kept the boundaries to a minimum.

Red Force, for the second time in the innings, took wickets in consecutive overs.

Burton was given leg before to medium pacer Terrance Hinds for 23 off 33 balls and leg spinner Imran Khan removed Ramdin for 12.

CCC were now 107/5 in the 29th over and desperate for a partnership.

Odain McCatty and Matthew Forde responded for CCC with both players attacking the Red Force bowlers.

In the 37th over, CCC got past 150 as Khan leaked 12 runs in the over.

McCatty struck a six over long on and Forde pulled a short delivery for four to the mid-wicket fence.

After McCatty and Forde brought up their 50-run partnership, Khan got the last laugh.

In the 39th over, Khan dismissed Forde and McCatty. Forde was out leg before for 25 and McCatty was caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Ottley for 28.

CCC could only muster 33 runs in the last ten overs as the students were all out for 200 in exactly 50 overs.

Khan was the most successful bowler for Red Force grabbing 4/53 in ten overs. Hinds took 2/18 in seven overs, Mohammed snatched 2/19 in seven overs and Cariah bagged 2/37 in ten overs.

Openers Joshua Da Silva and Ottley got Red Force off to an entertaining start with attractive shots.

In the fourth over, fast bowler Michail Powell put down a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to give Ottley a life. In the same over, Ottley punished CCC, leaning into a full-pitched delivery which found the rope. Ottley struck two fours on the leg side before the over was complete as Red Force progressed to 25/0 after four overs.

One of the shots of the day was a late cut by Da Silva down to the third-man fence for four off spinner Romario Greaves.

Goodridge got the breakthrough as Da Silva was bowled for 22 off 34 balls attempting a huge hit.

Shortly after Mohammed joined Ottley the players left the field because of rain.

SUMMARISED SCORES;

CCC 200 (50 overs) – Kirstan Kallicharan 37, Odain McCatty 28; Imran Khan 4/53, Terrance Hinds 2/18, Jason Mohammed 2/19, Yannic Cariah 2/37 vs TT RED FORCE 97/1 (18.5 overs) (revised target 115 in 26 overs) – Kjorn Ottley 43 not out, Jason Mohammed 23 not out. No Result