Samara Ramnath bowls Trinidad and Tobago to win over Jamaica at Bolivarian Games

There were mixed fortunes for TT's cricket teams at the Bolivarian Games in Ayacucho-Lima, Peru on December 5, as the women romped to the final with a commanding eight-wicket win over Jamaica, while the men were beaten by Barbados as they lost their first match after consecutive wins the day before.

Playing the Jamaican women for the second time in two days, TT showed their seven-wicket win on December 4 was no fluke as they put in another fine bowling performance to bowl out the Jamaicans for a paltry 58 before powering to the win inside nine overs.

Eighteen-year-old off-spinner Samara Ramnath led TT with the ball as she had figures of four for 11 from four overs, while veterans Lee Ann Kirby and wily off-spinner Anisa Mohammed both grabbed figures of two for nine. Jamaica were on eight for two by the fourth over, with Abigail Bryce (duck) and Adanya Baugh (one) both falling cheaply. Though scoring at a slow pace, opener Chedean Nation (21 off 34 balls) and Rashada Williams (23 off 40) then took the Jamaican score to 44 by the 13th over before they lost their last eight wickets for just 14 runs to be bundled out in the penultimate over. Ramnath accounted for both Nation and Williams, while she also had a double-strike in the 15th over to dismiss Lena Scott (one) and Jessica Wedderburn (duck).

The TT women didn't have the best of starts as they slid to 13 for two in the fourth over when opening batters Shunelle Sawh (four) and Shania Abdool (eight) were dismissed in quick succession. The experienced Britney Cooper was not messing around, though, and struck three fours and two sixes in a breezy knock of 33 from 18 balls to take the team to a third straight win.

The TT ladies will finish the round-robin phase with a clash against the Bajans on December 6 before contesting the final on December 7.

After convincing victories over Jamaica and hosts Peru on December 4, the TT men fell to a 34-run loss to the Bajans in their third game. Batting first, Barbados made a competitive score of 150 for five, with aggressive opener Shian Brathwaite playing a measured innings as he carried his bat to score 63 not out off 58. Brathwaite was involved in a few handy partnerships, with Giovante Depeiza and Tennyson Roach chipping in with 20 and 18 respectively.

Allrounder Teshawn Castro led the TT attack with two for 21, with left-arm spinner Damion Joachim claiming two for 33. TT had a dreadful start with the bat and were 27 for four by the seventh over as Kamil Pooran (duck), Leonardo Julien (five), Castro (five) and Kyle Ramdoo (seven) were all removed cheaply. Skipper Vikash Mohan (27 off 28) and Dejourn Charles (39 off 29) had a 46-run partnership for the fifth wicket as they tried to steady the chase. However, once Mohan was dismissed by Zion Brathwaite (two for 23) in the 13th over, the procession of wickets continued as TT lost their last five wickets for just 43 runs. Left-arm seamer Jerome Jones led Barbados with figures of three for 27.

The TT men will be inactive on December 6, but will hope to take their place in the final on December 7.

Summarised scores:

BARBADOS MEN: 150/5 from 20 overs (Shian Brathwaite 63, Giovante Depeiza 20, Tennyson Roach 18; Teshawn Castro 2/21, Damion Joachim 2/33) vs TT MEN: 116 from 19.4 overs (Dejourn Charles 39, Vikash Mohan 27; Jerome Jones 3/27, Amari Goodridge 2/19). Barbados won by 34 runs.

JAMAICA WOMEN: 58 from 18.5 overs (Rashada Williams 23, Chedean Nation 21; Samara Ramnath 4/11, Lee Ann Kirby 2/9) vs TT WOMEN: 59/2 from 8.5 overs (Britney Cooper 33 not out; Vanessa Watts 1/13). TT won by eight wickets.