Ottley smashes unbeaten ton in Red Force win vs Volcanoes

Left-handed opening batsman Kjorn Ottley scored an unbeaten 134 off 143 balls as TT Red Force got a comfortable six-wicket win versus the Windward Islands Volcanoes in their CG United Regional Super50 match at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair on Thursday.

It was the Red Force’s first victory of this year’s Super50 tournament, as Tuesday’s curtain-raiser against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) was washed out. Thankfully for the players, the rain stayed away from the St Clair venue on Thursday and the 33-year-old Ottley took full advantage to guide his team to victory. It was Ottley’s highest score in the List A format and the second century in his List A career.

Red Force’s win takes them to 17 points — boosted by the new bonus points system — and sees them surpassing Leeward Islands Hurricanes (13 points) on the eight-team table.

Set a 255-run target by the Windwards, who got a brutal knock of 87 from Johnson Charles, Ottley and his opening partner Tion Webster (40 off 60 balls) launched an onslaught of their own on the opposition bowlers. With Ottley being the aggressor in the 112-run opening partnership, Windwards opening bowlers Shermon Lewis (none for 32) and Ryan John (none for 37) were taken to the sword.

Red Force sped to 76 without loss after the ten-over power play to clinch a batting point, with Ottley bringing up his fifty off just 32 balls. TT progressed to 111 without loss by the end of the 20th over, with Webster accelerating his scoring rate with fluent off-side strokes. Webster’s stay at the crease was ended in the next over though, as he was caught on the long-on boundary by Alick Athanaze as he tried to take on off-spinner Kenneth Dember (two for 23).

The impressive Dember struck in his very next over as TT’s wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva (two) offered him a simple return catch to leave the hosts on 118 for two in the 23rd over. Fresh from his unbeaten 81 on Tuesday, Red Force captain Darren Bravo (25 off 46 balls) joined Ottley in the middle as the pair consolidated the innings.

Bravo and Ottley put on 49 off 92 balls through the tricky middle overs, as Dember and the Windwards spinners stalled the flow in Red Force’s innings. Bravo broke the shackles in the 36th over, as he stylishly struck Athanaze (one for 56) over extra cover for six. Athanaze had his revenge in the very next over as Bravo edged a ball through to wicket-keeper Tevyn Walcott.

Red Force were 167 for three at that stage and needed 88 off 75 balls to claim victory. The veteran Jason Mohammed joined Ottley in the middle and he struck a run-a-ball 20 as the pair put on 52 for the fourth wicket. In the process, Ottley brought up the first century of this year’s Super50 tournament as he punched John over cover for four in the 39th over.

Mohammed was out LBW to Shamar Springer (one for 45) to leave TT on 219 for four in the 45th over. Terrance Hinds (26 not out off 15 balls) then strode to the crease, and he and Ottley ensured there were no blips at the death for the Red Force. Hinds struck three fours and a six in his breezy cameo — carting Springer for a pair of boundaries in the 47th over as Red Force inched toward the target.

By the end of the 48th over, Ottley fittingly sealed the deal for the hosts as he got a single off Shadrack Descarte to give Red Force the victory with two overs to spare and six wickets still intact. Ottley struck 11 fours and three sixes in his innings and received the man of the match award.

Earlier, the Windwards got to 254 for nine in their allotted 50 overs after being sent in to bat first. In a scintillating opening partnership with the stylish Athanaze, Charles threatened to take the game away from the Red Force as he played a barrage of attacking shots across the Oval outfield in his knock of 87 from 69 balls. The pair took the Windwards score to 64 without loss after the initial ten-over play, with Charles racing to a half-century off just 35 balls. The partnership was extended to 111 before Athanaze (39 off 49 balls) was caught in slip by Sunil Narine off Yannic Cariah’s bowling at the end of the 17th over.

Cariah wasn’t afraid to flight the ball to the Windwards batsmen and he got his just rewards, finishing with figures of four for 57 in his ten-over spell — accounting for the first four Windwards wickets. A belligerent Charles was next to go as he was well caught in the slip by Akeal Hosein to leave Windwards on 136 for two in the 23rd over.

Sunil Ambris (ten) and Tevyn Walcott (six) were Cariah’s next victims as the Windwards slipped to 175 for four in the 31st over. The Windwards fell away toward to back end, as they managed just 67 runs in the last 15 overs — losing five wickets in the process.

Hodge was the Windwards’ second-highest scorer with 45 off 67 balls. Batting at number seven, captain Andre Fletcher made 36 off 44 balls and was dismissed off the last ball of the innings as he skied Narine (two for 29) towards the safe hands of wicket-keeper Da Silva.

The total wasn’t enough to stave off a second straight loss for the Windwards.

Scores:

VOLCANOES 254 for nine off 50 overs (Johnson Charles 87, Kavem Hodge 45, Alick Athanaze 39, Andre Fletcher 36; Yannic Cariah 4-57, Sunil Narine 2-27) vs

RED FORCE 255 for four off 48 overs (Kjorn Ottley 134 not out, Tion Webster 40, Terrance Hinds 26 not out, Darren Bravo 25; Kenneth Dember 2-23)