PORT OF SPAIN – Champion off-spinner Sunil Narine wrecked Guyana Jaguars with a remarkable six-wicket haul as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force stormed to an emphatic 135-run victory in the final of the NAGICO Super50, to claim their 11th regional One-Day crown Sunday night.
Chasing 201 for victory at Queen’s Park Oval, Jaguars collapsed from 36 without loss to 65 all out off 24 overs, with the ruthless Narine scything through the innings to finish with six for eight from eight overs.
Opener Trevon Griffith topscored with 31 from 28 balls with six fours but once Narine removed him in the seventh over, caught by Kieron Pollard at first slip, the innings plunged into terminal decline, with the visitors losing their last ten wickets for 29 runs.
Griffith was the only batsman to reach double figures for Guyana.
The victory was Red Force’s first regional title in five years and it made up for the pain of last season’s final when they were beaten by Barbados.
“Leading the country to a title, that feeling is always up there. We haven’t won a title in some years now besides the T20,” captain Rayad Emrit said afterward.
Jaguars captain Chris Barnwell said his side’s batting never clicked but noted that Narine had made the difference in the outcome.
“We’re very disappointed. We played some good cricket leading up to the final but Sunil Narine just took it away from us.”
The right-handed Jason Mohammed had earlier fashioned a well controlled maiden regional One-Day hundred to help fire Trinidad and Tobago Red Force up to 200 for eight off their 50 overs after they were sent in.
With wickets tumbling around him, the right-hander stood firm to unfurl a high-class innings off 132 deliveries and hold the innings together in the face of turmoil.
Surviving a chance on 69, Mohammed went on to count 11 fours and five sixes, helping to rally the innings with four key partnerships after Guyana Jaguars had made early inroads with their varied attack.
He put on 38 for the third wicket with opener Jeremy Solozano (21), 43 for the fifth wicket with Dwayne Bravo (10) and another 34 for the sixth wicket with Kieron Pollard (9).
However, it was his unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 52 off 33 balls with Emrit, who finished 12 not out, that turned the game around for Red Force.
Languishing at 148 for eight in the 45th over, the hosts seemed unlikely to get anywhere near the 200-run mark but Mohammed helped plunder 42 runs from the last three overs to end the innings on a high.
He reached his century off the third ball over of the final over when he clipped seamer Paul Wintz to the square leg boundary. He then struck another leg-side four before finishing the innings with two superb off-side sixes, in an over that leaked 21 runs.
Despite Mohammed’s exploits, Jaguars had the best of the early exchanges thanks to left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul who finished with three for 22, while seamers Royston Crandon (2-27) and Wintz (2-44) picked up two wickets apiece.
Mohammed and Solozano were the only two batsmen to pass 20, as Wintz struck with the first ball of the game, trapping left-hander Evin Lewis lbw on the back foot without a run on the board. (CMC)
