Sunrisers Hyderabad have released captain Kane Williamson on the back of a poor 2022 Indian Premier League season.

The New Zealand skipper scored just 216 runs from 13 innings at an average of 19.64 in the IPL this year.

Sunrisers on Tuesday announced that Williamson has not been retained by the franchise, who finished eighth last season.

Nicholas Pooran and Sean Abbott are among the other players who have not been kept on by Hyderabad.

It was also the end of an era for Mumbai Indians, with Kieron Pollard calling time on his IPL playing days and taking over as the franchise's batting coach.

Kolkata Knight Riders will have to do without Pat Cummins, Alex Hales and Sam Billings after the overseas trio opted out of the 2023 tournament.

Dwayne Bravo and Chris Jordan were among the players on the Chennai Super Kings' list of released players, while Jason Holder will not feature for Lucknow Super Giants.

Black Caps duo Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham will not return to Rajasthan Royals, while the same goes for South Africa batter Rassie Van Der Dussen.

West Indies ODI and T20I captain Nicholas Pooran and former West Indies captains Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were among several West Indians to be released by their Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises on Tuesday’s deadline day to retain and release players.

While Pooran, Pollard, who announced his IPL retirement earlier on Tuesday, and Super Kings' Dwayne Bravo were the most high-profile West Indians not retained, there were several other younger players from the Caribbean who were released by their teams.

Along with Pooran, Sunrisers Hyderabad let go of Romario Shepherd, Lucknow Super Giants released Jason Holder and Evin Lewis, Mumbai released Fabian Allen, Royal Challengers Bangalore let go of Sherfane Rutherford, Punjab released Odean Smith and Gujarat Titans did not retain Dominic Drakes.

On the flip side, several West Indians were retained by their franchises.

Obed McCoy and Shimron Hetmyer were retained by the Rajasthan Royals, Alzarri Joseph was retained by defending champions the Gujarat Titans, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine will once again suit up for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kyle Mayers was retained by Lucknow Super Giants and Rovman Powell was retained by the Delhi Capitals.

The released players will get their chance to be snapped up by another franchise at the IPL player auction which will be held on December 23 in Kochi.

Kieron Pollard has ended his Indian Premier League playing career but will remain with Mumbai Indians in the role of batting coach.

Pollard has featured in 13 IPL seasons for Mumbai, winning the tournament five times and also lifting the Champions League trophy twice.

The former West Indies captain on Tuesday announced he has played his last game for the Indians, but will turn out for the MI Emirates in the UAE T20 League.

All-rounder Pollard is Mumbai's second-highest run-scorer with 3,915 and has struck the most sixes for the franchise, clearing the rope 22 times.

The 35-year--old stated: "It hasn't been the easiest decision to make as I will keep playing for a few more years, but I understand that this incredible franchise which has achieved so much needs to transition and if I'm no longer to play for MI then I cannot see myself playing against MI either.

"Once an MI always an MI. I am immensely proud, honoured and blessed to have represented the biggest and most successful team in the IPL for the past 13 seasons.

"Most sincerely, I express my deep appreciation to Mukesh, Nita and Akash Ambani [Mumbai's owners] for their tremendous love, support and respect I have always felt and for the confidence they placed in me. I recall our first encounter when they welcomed me with open arms saying, “We are family”.

"Those were not just mere words, but demonstrated by their every action throughout my time with Mumbai Indians."

West Indies great Kieron Pollard has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League after 13 years and five titles with the Mumbai Indians.  

Pollard, who made the announcement in a statement on Instagram on Tuesday, made the decision after failing to see himself in MI's scheme of things going forward as the franchise enters a transition phase.

The all-rounder added that his loyalty towards the franchise is such that he cannot envision himself representing any other team in the IPL.

With that said, it is not the end of the road for Pollard with the Mumbai Indians as the former West Indies captain has agreed to take over as the team's batting coach.

Only a handful of players in IPL have featured in 100 or more games for a single franchise. Pollard stands second on the list of most appearances for a single club having featured in 189 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians. Virat Kohli sits atop with his record tally for Royal Challengers Bangalore while others on the list feature Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011), Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians from 2013) and Lasith Malinga (who had two stints at Mumbai). In those 189 games, he scored 3412 runs, laced with 16 fifties and picked up 69 wickets, becoming one of the most prolific all-rounders the league ever witnessed.

Pollard’s full statement: “It hasn't been the easiest decision to make as I intend to keep playing for a few more years, but following discussions with Mumbai Indians I have decided to call time on my IPL career. I understand that this incredible franchise which has achieved so much needs to transition and if I'm no longer to play for MI then I cannot see myself playing against MI either, 'Once an MI always an MI'.

This is not an emotional goodbye to MI however as I have agreed to take up the role of batting coach in the IPL as well as play with MI Emirates. This next chapter of my career is genuinely exciting and allows me to transition myself too from playing to coaching,

I am immensely proud, honoured and blessed to have represented the biggest and most successful team in the IPL for the past 13 seasons. It was always an aspiration to play for this fantastic team and although I will miss the buzz of the IPL you get as a player, I take comfort in knowing that I have been fortunate enough to have played with some of the best players in the world in front of our passionate fans. I have always felt and appreciated their unconditional support both on and off the field. Together, we won the Champions League in 2011 and 2013 and the IPL in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020,

I must give big thanks to the Coaches, Managers and other backroom support staff we have had at Mumbai Indians and who I now join. We would not have achieved the success over the years without their continuing hard work, dedication and commitment to creating the best environment and I look forward to emulating their successful approach. In particular, I would like to pay special tribute to my good friend Robin Singh for his sound advice and guidance over the years and whose very shoes I now fill.

Most sincerely, I express my deep appreciation to Mukesh, Nita and Akash Ambani for their tremendous love, support and respect I have always felt and for the confidence they placed in me. I recall our first encounter when they welcomed me with open arms saying "We are family". Those were not just mere words, but demonstrated by their every action throughout my time with Mumbai Indians.”

Lastly, I would like to say a special thank you to my friends and family especially my wife, Jenna and my three beautiful children for all the love, support and the many sacrifices they have made over the years and will continue to make to allow me to fulfil my childhood dream of playing cricket at the highest levels for such a long time.

Today, I make this step with hope and excitement towards the future knowing that I will be playing a role in an institution, whose values align so closely to mine, where "We are family"

All four semi-finalists have been confirmed in the 2022 CG Insurance Super50 Cup after the Jamaica Scorpions beat the West Indies Academy by six-wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis method in the tournament’s final group game at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday.

The Scorpions won the toss and decided to bowl first in the match that was initially reduced to 48 overs per team after a late start due to rain. Another rain delay during the Academy innings meant they had only 43 overs to bat.

Opener Kirk McKenzie top-scored with 45 as the Academy struggled to 176 all out in 39.4 overs. With strike bowlers Dennis Bulli and Sheldon Cottrell missing out due to illness, off-spinner Jamie Merchant stepped up with 3-25 off his 10 overs for the Scorpions. Pacer Nicholson Gordon was expensive, going for 40 runs in 4.4 overs, but took three wickets as well.

Initially, the Scorpions had a target of 170 off 43 overs for victory but various stoppages for rain as well as a power outage meant that the target was eventually revised to 146 off 34 overs.

In the end, the Scorpions got to 125-4 off 26.2 overs when the heavens decided to open up again, this time causing no further play with the Scorpions comfortably ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score of 103.

Brandon King top-scored with 48 while captain Rovman Powell got 26 not out.

The Scorpions will now play last year’s beaten finalists, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, in the second semi-final on Thursday while the Barbados Pride will tackle defending champions the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in Wednesday’s first semi-final.

England's T20 World Cup success can be used as a springboard to cement their status as one of the all-time great white-ball sides, believes Ryan Sidebottom.

A five-wicket win over Pakistan in Melbourne means Jos Buttler's side are the first men's team to hold both major ICC titles, having won the 50-over World Cup in 2019 on home soil.

Victory in Australia means England become just the second team to win the T20 World Cup twice, with Sidebottom having been a member of the 2010 title-winning side.

A failure to capitalise on that initial success meant it was the best part of a decade before they triumphed again in limited-overs cricket, but the former Yorkshire bowler thinks they are primed to push on this time.

"When we won it in 2010, we had an opportunity to go on and build, get better as a nation and we kind of got left behind again," he told Stats Perform.

"But now we have a huge opportunity to become the best, [to be] number one in the world in all formats. We've got the players, we've got the facilities now.

"I think we've got everything. We can achieve great things. I really believe that if we keep moving forward and keep striving to get better and better."

No small part of England's success came from the performances of Sam Curran, with the Surrey all-rounder named player of the tournament for his performances with the ball.

Having been far from an assured first-choice pick before arriving in Australia, the 24-year-old has effectively cemented his place, with Sidebottom feeling he is an invaluable piece of the puzzle now.

"I think he's been amazing," he added. "He's improved so much as a cricket. You throw the ball to Sam Curran, and he makes things happen.

"That's quite a rare commodity for someone. You know he's either going to take a wicket or do something very special. [England] have so many left-armers, but he's been the pick of everyone."

Ben Stokes has earned the right to be called an England great after the "once-in-a-generation player" guided Jos Buttler's side to T20 World Cup glory.

That was the message from former England seamer Ryan Sidebottom, who was speaking to Stats Perform after Stokes' 52 not out saw sealed a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Sunday's final.

The all-rounder came to the crease at the MCG with England 32-2 in their pursuit of 138, but produced a well-crafted innings to record his first T20I half-century on the biggest occasion.

Sidebottom labelled the Test captain as one of England's best players off all time after Stokes became just the third player to score 50-plus runs in both an ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup final.

Asked whether Stokes was now an England legend, Sidebottom said: "I would say so, most definitely. He's probably got to be.

"He could be called Sir Ben Stokes at some stage, but I think he's done it so many times now you can't argue with that.

"With what he's done in the key moments under pressure, he's the man to do it. You have a once-in-a-generation player and when the big occasion comes around, more often than not, he turns up.

"He turns it on, and it makes things happen. Look at the Ashes and the 2019 World Cup. It's almost crazy to say this, but it's almost like he's just playing a regular game in the park.

"He doesn't worry about the situation, or what type of game he's playing in. I think he's just saying, 'I'm out here. I'm just going to play my game. And I'll see us over the line'.

"Once you strip it all back and you keep it very simple, it certainly changes how you play as a player – he's been phenomenal."

Stokes suffered T20 World Cup final heartbreak in 2016 when Carlos Brathwaite smashed him for four successive sixes to win the competition for West Indies.

Sidebottom says the honesty and professionalism of Stokes to respond to that setback is what sets him apart from the rest.

"Having played a professional sport, there's always highs and lows," he added. "There's always negatives, there's always days when it doesn't go your way and maybe your opposition number gets the better of you or you just have a bad day out.

"You'll either learn from that, or you can sulk about it and let it affect you. What Ben Stokes has done after that World Cup final, since then, he has never ever looked back. 

"The things that we've sort of seen away from the cricket, we've all done stupid things. We've all done things that we regret or we didn't mean to do, you grow and mature and he's done that.

"He's done his time. He's been open and honest. With his mental health issues and everything like that. Then his cricket has improved immensely and he's turned himself into a mighty fine cricketer."

Stokes has become accustomed to playing the hero for England in recent years, most notably in the victorious 2019 Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand and in the Ashes at Headingley in the same year.

The calm manner in which Stokes goes about his business is another key facet Sidebottom pinpointed, with his demeanour helping England rally to four straight wins to seal their second T20 World Cup crown.

"Ben Stokes is that calming influence, he doesn't panic. He's very level-headed and I think with someone like him, it runs through the team," Sidebottom continued.

"When you've got a player like that with his stature, when he's so calm at the crease, it certainly goes through the team.

"And the team say, 'we don't need to panic, we can easily win this game.' It showed in the final and in the semi-final.

"It also showed in the Sri Lanka game where it was getting very close. Ben Stokes didn't panic. The whole team are just accustomed now to playing in big tournaments and used to being under pressure a lot more."

Moeen Ali has bemoaned a "horrible" schedule that will see England start an ODI series against Australia four days after winning the T20 World Cup.

Jos Buttler's side became the first team to be both T20I and 50-over world champions at the same time with a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final at the MCG on Sunday.

After playing seven World Cup matches in a period of just over three weeks, England will remain in Australia for a three-match ODI series that starts at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Moeen is among nine members of the T20 World Cup squad who will face Australia, but the all-rounder feels they should be taking some hard-earned time off.

"It's been happening for a while," he said. "As a group we want to enjoy and celebrate and have that time because you put so much into it as well. It's not just while the tournament is going on, there's the pre-tournament, the build-up and all that.

"Having a game in three days' time, it's horrible. As players we're kind of getting used to it now. But to give 100 per cent all the time is difficult when you're playing every two, three days.

"We have to do it and while we're here we might as well do it, it would be better than going back and then having to come back out another time."

England white-ball head coach Matthew Mott also feels the schedule is asking a lot of the players.

"We always saw that series as being something that we will have to be really professional about," said Mott.

"Cricket is a funny game: we have long breaks off in the white-ball game but when we're on, we're on. We've got to enjoy this victory, they don't come around very often so there'll be no disguising the fact that we will enjoy this.

"But come game day, we've got to turn up and make sure we put out a great effort. For the white-ball team in particular, we get through those three games and then there's a long break. So that'll be the time to properly let the hair down and enjoy it, but the schedule is the schedule and we've got to move with it."

Pakistan paceman Shaheen Afridi has been advised to undergo a fortnight of rehabilitation after limping out of the T20 World Cup final defeat against England.

It was feared Afridi may have suffered a recurrence of a knee injury that kept him out for three months prior to the tournament in Australia.

The left-arm quick left the field at the MCG on Sunday after landing awkwardly while catching Harry Brook.

Afridi was sorely missed as Ben Stokes' unbeaten half-century ensured England became the first team to be world champions in the 50-over format and the shortest format at the same time.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday revealed there were no signs of an injury for Afridi, so the fast bowler could be fit for the first Test against England that starts on December 1.

A PCB statement said: "Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been advised two-week rehabilitation after he landed awkwardly while taking Harry Brook's catch during Sunday’s ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 final in Melbourne.

"The scan conducted on Monday morning prior to the team’s departure for Pakistan, has confirmed there were no signs of an injury and the knee discomfort was likely "due to a forced knee flexion whilst landing".

"The scans were discussed between PCB’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Najeebullah Soomro, and Australian knee specialist, Dr Peter D'Alessandro, and it was reassuring to know that there was no injury. The left-arm fast bowler is feeling better and is in high spirits.

"Shaheen will undergo rehabilitation and conditioning programme that has been designed to strengthen his knee at the National High Performance Centre few days after his return to Pakistan.

"Shaheen's return to international cricket will be subject to the champion fast bowler’s successful completion of the rehabilitation programme and following go-aheads by the medical staff."

Afridi bowled Alex Hales in the first over of England's run chase but was only able to fire down 13 deliveries before making an early exit as Jos Buttler's side won by five wickets.

An excellent knock from Captain Shai Hope helped the Barbados Pride defeat the Leeward Islands Hurricanes by five wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua on Sunday and advance to the semi-finals of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup.

The Hurricanes lost the toss and were sent in to bat by the Pride and, propelled by a third consecutive half-century from captain Jahmar Hamilton, they made a competitive 273-7 from their 50 overs. Hamilton made 51 off 71 balls including three fours and two sixes and was supported well by all-rounder Rakheem Cornwall (46), Kieran Powell (40), Keacy Carty (36), Hayden Walsh Jr (33) and Karima Gore (33 not out).

Leg-spinner Javed Leacock took 4-48 from 10 overs for the Pride.

The Pride’s target was then revised to 268 from 48 overs due to bad light halting the start to their reply.

That did not matter as Hope played a masterful innings to lead his team to victory.

The West Indies ODI vice-captain made 88 off just 67 balls including six fours and four sixes and was well supported by Zachary McCaskie (49) and Kyle Hope (36) as the Bajans reached 271-5 with an over to spare. Off-spinner Kofi James continued his good form with the ball by taking 3-48 off 10 overs for the Leewards.

Despite both teams finishing the group stage with 14 points and the Hurricanes having a better net run rate, the Pride will move on to the semi-finals because the first tiebreaker is the head-to-head record between the two teams. The first game between the two ended in a no result.

The Hurricanes still have hope of advancing to the last four. If the West Indies Academy manage to defeat the Jamaica Scorpions for a second time in the tournament’s final preliminary game on Monday, the Hurricanes will advance. On the other hand, the Scorpions would advance as Zone B winners with a win.

Eoin Morgan declared England can be "regarded as one of the great sides" after T20 World Cup glory at the MCG on Sunday.

Former limited-overs England captain Morgan skippered his side to Cricket World Cup 50-over success in 2019, before falling short in the semi-finals of the T20 edition of the world competition in 2021.

The 36-year-old stepped down from his role in June, allowing Jos Buttler to take charge of the white-ball sides, and England triumphed in their captain's first tournament at the helm.

A five-wicket victory with six balls remaining over Pakistan in the final means England are now dual white-ball world champions, with Morgan suggesting Buttler's side have cemented their place in history.

"This team deserves it," Morgan said on Sky Sports. "They've been through the mill in the group stages and they've produced close to their very best against India in the semi-final.

"Jos Buttler said, 'We don't want to be known as a team just for our style of play'. We were known like that in 50 overs then won the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

"In T20 they've now won something tangible to be regarded as one of the great sides. They were excellent."

Ben Stokes, as has been the case across multiple formats in recent years, proved to be the hero with an unbeaten 52, seeing England over the line after they were reeling at 45-3 chasing 138.

From Headingley in the Ashes in 2019, to his Lord's heroics in the Cricket World Cup final earlier that year, Morgan heralded Stokes as the man for the big occasion.

"Ben is just such a special player," Morgan added. "In big games he continues to stand up for his country when his country needs him. That is such an incredible skill to have.

"When something has the potential to go awry, Ben is the guy that thinks coolly and calmly under pressure and makes brilliant decisions. He's done it so many times now.

"At certain stages of my captaincy I did take it [Stokes' role] for granted because he continued to be able to produce under pressure all the time.

"He always wants to be in the game and is that player who continually nags you to get in the high-pressure moments. It's a complete luxury to have a guy like Ben Stokes at your disposal."

While Stokes became just the third player to score 50-plus runs in both an ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup final (also Gautam Gambhir and Kumar Sangakkara), Sam Curran played an important role.

Left-arm seamer Curran picked up 1-12 from his four overs, marking his 13th scalp of the tournament – the second-most by a pacer in any single edition of the tournament (Dirk Nannes - 14 wickets in 2010).

"It [Curran's World Cup performance] is extraordinary," Morgan continued. "He really has been a find in all parts of the game. Jos Buttler has brought him on in the powerplay, used him through the middle and the biggest plus has been his death bowling.

"He has really stood up and bowled with a huge amount of skill and clarity. To produce in a World Cup final is extraordinary from someone that young. When his team needed him, Sam Curran did it today."

Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago are to participate on a bilateral regional U13 cricket tournament set to run from December 10-17, 2022, the Guyana Cricket Board has announced.

According to the GCB, the tournament to be held in Guyana complements Cricket West Indies’ plans of two-year incremental development programs.

Consequently, it is expected that the Under-13 players will be adequately exposed to competitive cricket which is hoped will facilitate their growth and development for future GCB’s two-year incremental development programs such as the National Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 training programmes.

The GCB has established structured cricket development programmes for their Under-11, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, and Senior levels.

The Under-11s are being prepared through the Republic Bank Five for Fun Cricket Development programme.

Additionally, the GCB and Republic Bank are in the planning stages of initiating a national Under-23 Inter-Club Tournament.

President of the GCB Bissoondyal Singh expressed delight at being able to positively engage the President of the TTCB Azim Bassarath.

“Both territorial boards are keen on exposing our future professional cricketers at an early age to the highest competitive standards possible. We recognize the need for children to develop their art, bowling, batting, and fielding in a fun-related manner,” he said.

“However, we strongly believe that players in the Under-13 age group can begin to challenge their minds a bit more than is currently being done. Learning cricket techniques is good but executing the respective skills in competitive environments will set the players on a greater path to success.”

President Singh added that the U13 initiative paves the way for a regional Under-13 tournament.

“We believe in promoting the training aspects of cricket so that players can inculcate the recommended practices for the game as well as a person,” he said.

“Our planned cricket academy which will cater to the needs of players ages seven to 17, is geared at making our players rounded cricketers. In addition to technical and skill development, our academy focuses on areas of cricket laws, scoring, match referee and umpire duties and etiquette including personal communication, interviewing as a priority activity, and psychology.”

Babar Azam was left frustrated after key bowler Shaheen Afridi was forced off with injury in Pakistan's T20 World Cup final defeat to England on Sunday.

Babar's men set England just 138 to win, but Afridi struck early to dismiss England opener Alex Hales before making a superb catch to remove Harry Brook off Shadab Khan's bowling, stirring Pakistan's hopes of victory.

However, Afridi injured himself in his role in Brook's wicket and was forced off the field, and though he did return, the 22-year-old managed just one delivery before having to make way again.

It was a bitter blow for Pakistan, who seemingly lost all momentum as Ben Stokes' half-century and some crucial boundaries from Moeen Ali condemned them to a heartbreaking defeat.

Babar pointed to Afridi's injury as the key moment, saying in the post-match presentation: "We were 20 runs short, but the fight to the last over was unbelievable.

"Our bowling is one of the best but unfortunately Shaheen's injury cost us a different result, but that's part of the game.

"The way the team has gone in the last four matches [was] incredible. I told the boys to play their natural game, with freedom. Congratulations to England."

The final defeat ended a disappointing individual tournament for Babar, who finished with a total run tally of 124 off 133 balls, while facing 62 dot balls as he passed 50 just once across his seven innings.

But the Pakistan captain was pleased with his team's campaign, despite his own struggles, adding in his press conference: "We weren't expecting to lose the first two.

"But how we've come back, grabbed chances, I'm proud of the team as a captain."

Jos Buttler labelled Ben Stokes the "ultimate competitor" after his first T20I half-century saw England beat Pakistan to win the T20 World Cup at the MCG.

Chasing a target of 138 after bowling first, England captain Buttler had hit 26 from 17 deliveries himself but departed with his team still needing 93 more runs.

After a slow start, Stokes eventually took the game to Pakistan along with Moeen Ali (19 from 12). Stokes then hit the winning run to end on an unbeaten 52 from 49 balls.

There were five fours and a six in that knock, which finished with the final ball of the 19th over.

"He's the ultimate competitor in anything he does," Buttler said at the post-match presentation.

"He's got a hell of a lot of experience to bank on, he can take a lot on his shoulders. He timed it perfectly, that impetus he and Moeen Ali had at that phase of the game just took it away from Pakistan."

Speaking to Sky Sports after the presentation, Buttler was asked if he had been comfortable leaving Stokes at the crease after his own dismissal.

"I was comfortable after 10 overs, and then I said to someone: 'If he played like that in a Test match, he'd drop himself'," Buttler joked. "He managed to get it done in the end."

Buttler shared the praise around, with England's success scarcely seeming imaginable after a Super 12 loss to Ireland.

"To be able to win the T20 World Cup, I'm just immensely proud of everyone here," he said. "It's been a long journey and a few changes of how we've played over the last few years, and we're reaping the rewards of that.

"It's been a fantastic tournament. We've been away for a long time; we went to Pakistan before coming here, which was a really valuable time for the group.

"This felt a long way away after the Ireland match, but the character we've shown from that point on in must-win games has been amazing."

England limited Pakistan to 137-8 from their 20 overs, with the turning point coming at the start of the 12th over when Adil Rashid (2-22) caught and bowled Babar Azam for 32 before completing a maiden over.

"Absolutely that was a huge swing in the game, that was a fantastic over from Adil," Buttler said. "The last three games especially, he's been outstanding for us. He's always been the guy that we've thrown the ball to to make things happen.

"It certainly wasn't easy, we managed to get away to a decent start, which controlled the run rate. We bat deep as well, which gave us a lot of options and trust."

Nicholas Pooran just missed out on a century but helped Trinidad and Tobago Red Force defeat Windward Islands Volcanoes by seven wickets with six balls to spare at Tarouba on Saturday. The win means the Red Force have advanced to the semi-finals of the CG Insurance Super 50 competition.

In match reduced by rain to 40 overs, Pooran scored an unbeaten 99 and Darren Bravo 67 not out sharing in an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 155 as TT Red Force cruised to 249-3 (D/L). The West Indies white-ball captain scored his runs from just 71 balls and hit 11 fours and two sixes along the way. Bravo hit nine fours in his 63-ball knock.

Opener Kjorn Ottley made 43 for the Trinidad franchise while partnering in a 49-run second-wicket stand with Jason Mohammed, who made 25. Ottley was eventually dismissed after putting on 13 for the third partnership of 13 with Bravo, who would find a match-winning partner in Pooran.

Justin Greaves was the best of the Windward bowlers with 2-55. Preston McSween took 1-57.

Earlier, the Windwards recovered from a precarious 36-4 in the seventh over after Akeal Hosein 2-37 and Shannon Gabriel 1-36 did the early damage.

The owed their recovery to an unbeaten knocks of 90 from Sunil Ambris and 68 from Andre Fletcher, who shared in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 165 that took the team to 201-4 from their 40 overs.

Unfortunately, thanks to Pooran and company it proved not to be enough.