Red Force Under-15s suffer nine-wicket loss to Guyana

AFTER their 2024 West Indies Rising Stars under-15 Championship title defence began with a washed-out affair on Tuesday, Trinidad and Tobago’s under-15 cricketers crashed to a heavy nine-wicket loss to Guyana in their second game of the tournament on March 28.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua, the reigning champions were bowled out for a paltry score of 83 in 24.2 overs before the Guyanese youngsters got to the victory target with ease inside 19 overs.

TT the TT batsmen looked out of sorts during their short stay in the middle, and lanky Guyanese seamer Arif Khan was the main reason for the opposition’s batting woes as he wrecked the top order with a blistering spell of five for 18 from six overs. Getting both inward and away movement with his right-arm seam, Khan reaped the rewards by accounting for the first five TT wickets.

In the very first over, Khan had opener Reyad Jerome (duck) trapped lbw with a late in-swinger. In his next over, Khan turned the game on its head when he struck in consecutive balls to dismiss Tariq Richards (duck) and TT captain Zane Maraj (duck) who was bowled by a peach of a yorker.

TT were reeling on six for three at the end of the third over and Khan got his fourth wicket when he bowled Roberto Badree (two) with another in-swinging delivery.

Opening batsman Zakariyya Mohammed then fought back briefly with two fours and a six to top score with a breezy 24 off 32 balls. As he attempted to pull a short ball from Khan into the leg side, though, Mohammed became the Guyanese bowler’s fifth scalp as the wicket-keeper completed a fine running catch.

TT were precariously positioned on 43 for five at that stage, and their fortunes didn’t improve as left-arm spinner Gilbert Griffith chipped in with figures of three for 19 to make light work of the lower and middle order.

Shaan Ramtahal (12) was bowled by Griffith, Aarion Mohammed (one) was out caught behind and Aaden Owen (two) was comprehensively bowled by the spinner as he attempted a big heave over the on-side as TT slipped to 61 for eight.

Ra’ed Ali Khan (12) and Daniel Holder (seven) were the last two wickets to fall as the TT innings meekly came to an end in the 25th over.

In response to TT’s total, Guyana had a cautious start from the opening pair of Justin Dowlin and Parmeshwar Ram as they got to 29 without loss after ten overs.

Dowlin (seven) was caught at mid-on off Ramtahal’s bowling in the 11th over as Guyana lost their only wicket with the score on 30. New batsman Emmanuel Lewis (31 not out off 24 balls) and Ram (37 not out off 58 balls) got Guyana home with ease, though, thanks to an unbeaten 54-run partnership for the second wicket.

The right-handed Lewis struck five boundaries in his innings, while the more conservative Ram hit four boundaries.

On Saturday, the defending champions will aim to bounce back from the crushing defeat when they play Barbados at All Saints in Antigua.

Summarised Scores

TT – 83 from 24.2 overs (Zakariyya Mohammed 24, Shaan Ramtahal 12; Arif Khan 5/18, Gilbert Griffith 3/19) vs GUYANA — 84/1 from 18.4 overs (Parmeshwar Ram 37 not out, Emmanuel Lewis 31 not out; S Ramtahal 1/24). Guyana won by nine wickets.