T&T Red Force take rich form into Super50 Cup final after six-wicket semis win over Harpy Eagles

By Sports Desk November 08, 2023
Darren Bravo led with an unbeaten 53. Darren Bravo led with an unbeaten 53. file

Last year’s beaten finalist Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will take their unbeaten record into the CG United Super50 Cup final, following a convincing six-wicket victory over Guyana Harpy Eagles in a lopsided semi-final encounter at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Wednesday.

Darren Bravo won the toss and sent Harpy Eagles in to bat, a decision which proved fruitful, as Red Force restricted the opponents to a paltry 105 inside 35 overs, and the captain later added an unbeaten 53 to easily surpass the target at 107-4 well inside 30 overs.

Bravo’s patient 70-ball 53, included eight boundaries.

Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 105 all out (34.3 overs); Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 107-4 (27.4 overs)

Despite the many talents in Harpy Eagles’s batting line up, they have really failed to spark throughout the campaign, and this crucial semi-final encounter again served up a dismal display.

With the exception of Sherfane Rutherford (30) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (22), no other batsman got into double figures, as Terrance Hinds ran through the top order, and they never recovered.

The 31-year-old right-arm medium pacer snared 4-15 in a mere four overs, while spinner Yannic Cariah had 2-14 in 2.3 overs.

With very little runs on the board, Red Force’s chase started steadily, but Harpy Eagles sensed a glimmer of hope when Veerasammy Permaul had Tion Webster (10) trapped in front with the score at 25-1.

Kjorn Ottley and Bravo added 58 for the second wicket to balance things out, before the former went leg-before-wicket to Gudakesh Motie. Ottley’s innings of 35 of 59 balls, included five boundaries.

Though Nicholas Pooran (three) and Jason Mohammed (zero) fell in quick succession to Motie leaving the score at 89-4, Bravo remained steady, and with Cariah, unbeaten on five, holding the other end, saw Red Force to a second-consecutive final.

Motie ended with 3-20 in seven overs.

The second semi-final between Leeward Island Hurricanes and Barbados Pride will be contested at the same venue on Thursday.

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    All-rounder Kevin Sinclair will take no further part in the Guyana Harpy Eagles CG United Super50 Cup campaign in Trinidad and Tobago. The decision made by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) followed the submission of an internal report by the Harpy Eagles' management team that it was necessary to replace the player.

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    “Following an internal report from the Guyana Harpy Eagles management, it has been decided that Kevin Sinclair will no longer be participating in this year’s competition,” the statement read.

    In the three matches played in the Super50 Cup, Kevin Sinclair tallied 14 runs and snared three wickets.

    He made 14 from 16 balls against Windward Volcanoes and took 2-66 from 10 overs in the same match.

    However, he did not bat in the rained-out contest against Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners and was dismissed without a score against Barbados Pride and only took 1-26 from 10 overs in that same match.

    The Guyana Harpy Eagles are winless after three matches.

    A similar situation arose last year during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament when organisers announced Kevin left the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad for “personal reasons.”

    Kevin Sinclair’s departure opens the door for Junior Sinclair to take up a spot in the Harpy Eagles squad ahead of Tuesday’s contest against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

    Guyana Harpy Eagles Squad: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Matthew Nandu, Tevin Imlach (captain), Kevlon Anderson, Kemol Savory, Junior Sinclair, Keemo Paul (vice-captain), Ronaldo Aimohamed, Veerasammy Permaul, Isai Thorne, Ashmead Nedd, Nial Smith, Sylus Tyndall, Rampertab Ramnauth.

     

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    The West Indies Academy recorded their first win of the 2024 CG United Super50 Cup season with a 22-run DLS method win over the Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine on Monday.

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    Experienced opener Kieran Powell top scored with 46 off 42 balls including eight fours while Shaqkere Parris made 40 and Johann Jeremiah hit 33.

    Jediah Blades continued his good form with the ball this season with 3-23 from six overs and was well supported by Zishan Motara who took 3-31 from his 10 overs.

    Joshua Bishop also bowled well with 2-25 from 6.5 overs.

    In reply, the Academy were 167-7 off 40.5 overs, 22 runs ahead of the DLS par score when the rain brought an end to proceedings.

    Andrew Rambaran and Johann Layne put together a crucial eighth wicket partnership, helping the Academy recover from 118-7 in the 29th over.

    Rambaran finished 37* while Layne finished 25* off 28 balls including two fours and two sixes.

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    Full Scores:

    Combined Campuses and Colleges 174 off 39.5 overs (Kieran Powell 46, Shaqkere Parris 40, Johann Jeremiah 33, Jediah Blades 3-23, Zishan Motara 3-31, Joshua Bishop 2-25)

    West Indies Academy 167-7 off 40.5 overs (Rivaldo Clarke 38, Andrew Rambaran 37*, Johann Layne 25*, Romario Greaves 5-45).

     

     

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