by EZRA STUART

in Guyana

TERRIFIC TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO are truly the undisputed kings of one-day cricket in the Caribbean.

Daren Ganga's calypso cricketers retained the WICB President's Cup title when they thoroughly thrashed traditional rivals Guyana by 81 runs in the day-night final at the National Stadium at Providence on Thursday.

The triumphant Trinidadians posted an imposing 286 for six in their allotted 50 overs and then routed gutless Guyana for 205 in 44.2 overs, after the home side had slumped to 129 for eight, to collect the US$10 000 first prize.

Fresh from reaching the final of the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League in India, Trinidad and Tobago outplayed Guyana in all facets of the game to lift their third one-day title in the last four years and a record tenth overall in the tournament since its inception in 1976.

"It is a great feeling. I must commend all the guys for the effort they put out," Ganga said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Coming back from India, it was always going to be tough for us to transition from 20-overs cricket into 50-overs cricket, but all credit to the guys. I think they adjusted well.

"The manner in which we played tonight, it showed that we deserved to be champions.

"Tough luck to Ramnaresh Sarwan and Guyana. I think they played good cricket as well, but in the end you must have one winner.

"We really planned and set ourselves to retaining this title and it is really good to end the year and end the season winning a title," added Ganga.

Stylish left-hander Daren Bravo top-scored for the twin-island republic with 76, laced with six fours and two sixes off 106 balls, batting at No. 3.

But it was burly all-rounder Kieron Pollard who delivered the telling blows with bat and ball to claim the Man Of The Match award.

Pugnacious Pollard pummelled 57 off 50 balls, studded with three huge sixes and two fours, before returning to take three for 38, including the key scalps of the tournament's leading run-scorer Narsingh Deonarine (two) and the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul for a "duck" in consecutive overs.

Pollard came to the crease with 15 overs left in the batting power play after his captain fell for a fluent 46, ending a flourishing 93-run third-wicket partnership in 17.3 overs with the younger Bravo.

Taking a liking to fast-medium bowlers Christopher Barnwell and Esaun Crandon, Pollard and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who made a swift 44 off a mere 24 balls, with four sixes and two fours, benefited from the butter-fingered Guyanese fielders, who floored at least four chances.

In reply, the Guyanese chase started disastrously as opening bowlers, pacer Ravi Rampaul and leg-spinner Samuel Badree, stifled the scoring, conceding just three runs in the first five overs.

Sewnarine Chattergoon's dismal run continued when he was trapped LBW by Rampaul for two, while Travis Dowlin, with a mere single off his first 21 balls, struggled to get the ball away. He eventually made 41 off 70 deliveries.

Dowlin showed more enterprise late in his innings, adding 89 in 15.4 overs for the second wicket-wicket with his captain Sarwan. But once he was out in the 21st over, Guyana dramatically collapsed, losing their next six wickets for a mere 37 runs in nine overs.

Guyana's woes were compounded when Sarwan was run out for 59 after he had stroked seven fours off 63 balls, and not even a ninth-wicket stand of 60 in 10.3 overs between Royston Crandon (46) and Veerasammy Permaul (28) could save their blushes.

Pollard had effectively settled the outcome with his three-wicket burst and the pacy Rampaul and left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed collected two wickets each as hundreds of disappointed spectators in the 8 000-strong crowd started leaving before the final rites were performed.

Sarwan said that while the 286 target was gettable, Guyana dropped too many catches. He said the turning point came when Dowlin, Deonarine and Chanderpaul were dismissed within six runs of each other.

"I thought Trinidad really played very well throughout the tournament and they deserve to win . . . We kept believing but, unfortunately, it didn't work out," Sarwan said.