NORTH SOUND – A tidy performance in the field from Kevon Cooper helped reigning champions Trinidad and Tobago turn a match that promised much into a one-sided affair, claiming a historic seven-wicket victory over Guyana in the Caribbean Twenty20 cricket tournament on Friday.

Cooper captured three wickets for 26 runs from four overs and completed two run outs to earn the Man Of The Match award, as Guyana were restricted to a modest 101 for nine from their 20 overs in the Group A match at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

Sent in under overcast skies, the decision appeared questionable, particularly when openers Sewnarine Chattergoon (20) and topscorer Trevon Griffith (31) put on 35 relatively comfortably.

But Cooper, who dismissed key batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul for a third-ball “duck” and medium pacer Dwayne Bravo shared five wickets to trigger a Guyana top-order collapse.

Lendl Simmons scalped Guyana’s captain Christopher Barnwell with his first delivery as Trinidad and Tobago never allowed the Guyanese to write a comeback story, although left-hander Narsingh Deonarine defied them to remain unbeaten on 26.

West Indies opener Simmons then gave Trinidad and Tobago a brisk start, stroking five fours and one six in the top score of 30 from 17 balls, as the Red Fury coasted to their first ever victory over the Guyanese in a regional T20 contest, finishing on 104 for three with 11 balls remaining.

Kieron Pollard sealed the landmark victory with a lofted six over long-on off the first ball of the uncomplicated off-spin of Chattergoon.

Trinidad and Tobago earned four points, moving to eight on the five-team ladder, and second in the group on net run rate behind Windward Islands, who have a match in hand.

Trinidad and Tobago face Canada in their final group match next Thursday at Kensington Oval in Barbados, where Guyana would have played the same opponents two days earlier in their next match. (CMC)

SCOREBOARD:

GUYANA (20 overs maximum)

S. Chattergoon c Pollard b Cooper     20

T. Griffith c wkpr *Ramdin b D.J. Bravo     31

S. Chanderpaul c D.J. Bravo b Cooper      0

N. Deonarine not out         26

S. Jacobs c Cooper b D.J. Bravo      0

*C. Barnwell c wkpr *Ramdin b Simmons 1

L. Johnson run out           1

R. Crandon b Cooper           1

+D. Christian run out                        13

V. Permaul run out          0

D. Bishoo not out          0

Extras (lb8)             8

TOTAL (9 wkts, 20 overs)                      101

Fall of wkts: 1-35, 2-36, 3-54, 4-54, 5-55, 6-67, 7-72, 8-95, 9-100

Bowling: Badree 2-0-15-0,

Rampaul 4-0-10-0, Ganga 1-0-13-0, Cooper 4-0-26-3, Narine 4-0-16-0, D.J. Bravo 3-0-10-2, Simmons 2-1-3-1

TRINIDAD &TOBAGO

(target: 102 off 20 overs)

L. Simmons c Chattergoon b Permaul    30

A. Barath c Deonarine b Jacobs       4

Darren Bravo not out         22

Dwayne Bravo c Griffith b Crandon     18

K. Pollard not out         21

Extras (b1, lb1, w6, nb1)           9

TOTAL (3 wkts, 18.1 overs)                 104

*+D. Ramdin, K. Cooper, S. Ganga, R. Rampaul, S. Narine, S. Badree did not bat

Fall of wkts: 1-27, 2-40, 3-70

Bowling: Jacobs 4-1-24-1,

Permaul 3-0-20-0, Bishoo 4-0-25-0, Crandon 4-0-15-1, Deonarine 2-0-12-0, Chattergoon 0.1-0-6-0

Result: T&T won by seven wickets

(11 balls remaining)

Points: T&T 4, Guyana 0

Toss: T&T

Man-of-the-Match: K. Cooper (T&T)

Umpires: G. Brathwaite, V. Bullen

TV umpire: C. Mack

Match referee: A. Griffith

Reserve umpire: B. Joseph

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