Source: Trinidad Daily Express
Pace did the trick for Trinidad and Tobago as they notched their second straight win in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-17 50-Overs Cup tournament yesterday.
Incisive bowling by Aadian Racha set up a five-wicket win for the home team over the Leeward Islands at Inshan Ali Park in Preysal.
On a day when rain interruptions affected all three matches in the second round, Racha grabbed four wickets for just 11 runs in 6.4 overs to limit the Leewards to 110 all out in 33.4 overs, in a match reduced to 38 overs per side.
The T&T bowlers justified skipper Fareez Ali’s decision to insert the opposition after he won the toss.
New ball bowler Alexander Chase removed Devanand Singh to a catch by Riyaad Mohammed with the last ball of the first over. Racha later produced a ball of extra bounce to have the other opener, Hosea Pluck, caught in the slips by Mohammed (39-2).
The direct approach continued to work for Racha as he bowled top-scorer Deantre Drew (22) with an off-stump yorker (52-3). The pacer next had Zaveek Toppin caught by Aneal Rooplal (64-4) and also hit the stumps of the swinging Ozan Williams to end the innings with two balls remaining in the 34th over and 26 in the innings.
Racha had earned his side what could prove to be valuable fast-bowling points.
The only route to victory from there for the Leewards was to dismiss T&T. But a sound opening stand of 45 in 63 balls between Luke Ali (40, three fours) and left-hander Riyaad Mohammed (14) went a long way to dashing those hopes.
The Leewards bowlers did not help their team’s cause by delivering 16 wides. However, they did pull things back once the spinners got into action, Williams removing Mohammed and No.3 Alvin Sonny both by the lbw route as they tried to swing him away.
T&T also lost Brendan Boodoo (two) and Niall Maingot (three) in successive overs (89-4). Ali was the next to go, well caught in the deep off Honore to leave T&T in a slump at 90 for five.
But with just 25 to get off 78 balls, there was no scoreboard pressure and skipper Ali (20 not out) and Cristian Rampersad got the job done.
In other matches, Barbados got their second win when they beat the Windward Islands by three wickets at Gilbert Park, while a five-wicket haul by Gulcharran Chulai led Guyana to a 29-run victory over Jamaica.
Summarised Scores:
At Gilbert Park
Windward Islands U-17s 123, 43.2 overs (Kirt Murray 41; Shaquan Belle 3/21, Kyron King 3/38, Akeem McCollin 2/11) vs Barbados U-17s 125-7, 33.1 overs (Gadson Bowens 37; Kirt Murray 4/18, Jelani Joseph 2/28) —Barbados won by three wickets.
At NCC
Guyana U-17s 133, 43.3 overs (Jonathan Van Lange 41; Demarco Scott 5/11, Dantae Clarke 3/42, Roshawn McKenzie 2/13 vs Jamaica U-17s 104, 24.2 overs (Tyriek Bryan 35; Gulcharran Chulai 5/24, Matthew Pottaya 4/14) —Guyana won by 29 runs.
At Inshan Ali Park
Leeward Islands U-17s 110 33.4 overs (Deantre Drew 22; Aadian Racha 4/11, Ishmael Ali 3/13) vs T&T U-17s 115-5, 30.3 overs (Luke Ali 40, Fareez Ali 20 n.o,; Jevon Manners 2/10 Ozan Williams 2/22) —T&T won by five wickets on DLS revised target.