T&T Red Steel received the biggest upset of the 2014 Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament last night, when they lost to the previously winless Antigua Hawksbills at Warner Park in St Kitts.
The Red Steel failed again with the bat and was dismissed for just 113 runs and although their bowlers put up a good fight, the Hawksbills were able to get over the line, for their first win in ten CPL T20 matches, dating back to last year.
With 26 runs needed off 16 deliveries, the Red Steel were still in the game but Carlon Brathwaite with three successive sixes brought home the win, as the Hawksbills finished on 114 for five off 18.3 overs. This loss has seriously weakened the Red Steel's chances of making it directly into finals, as winners of the group stage. They now lie in second position and will hope that the Tridents defeat the leaders Tallawahs today, to give them an outside chance. If the result doesn't go their way, then they will enter into the play-offs.
Marlon Samuels with 23, David Hussey 24 and Brathwaite with 20 off four balls were able to get their team a consolation win, as they finish the tournament with one win. Red Steel bowlers did perform but the batting was horrible.
Earlier, from the toss it all went wrong for the Red Steel as Marlon Samuels won the toss and immediately asked the T&T boys to take strike. He also announced that they were here to spoil the party and this represented the mood of his men, as they came out fighting from ball one.
The first legal ball of the match saw the big Irishman Kevin O'Brien edging to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas for a duck. After this, early strike the experienced Ross Taylor would have been the one to stabilise the innings but it did not happen.
The right-hander fell leg-before to Australian Ben Laughlin for 16 and from that point there was a steady movement of men in red from the pitch to the dug out. The Bravo brothers, stars so far in this tournament fell within 17 runs of each other and when the opener Evin Lewis finally fell, the effort was as good as over.
The left-handed Lewis played an uncharacteristic innings but it was one that was forced on him, due to wickets tumbling at the other end. His hand of 38 took 36 balls and included one six and two fours.
Kevon Cooper playing his 100th T20 match remained at the end unbeaten on 11, when the scoreboard flashed the sorry sight of 113 all out off 17.3 overs. Laughlin, whose father Trevor played Test cricket for Australia ended with his best performance of the tournament–three for seven. Cottrell took 2/14 and Justin Athanaze 2/25.
Scoreboard
T&T Red Steel vs Hawksbills
Red Steel inns
K O'Brien c Thomas b Cottrell 0
E Lewis c Thomas b Athanaze 38
R Taylor lbw Laughlin 16
DM Bravo c Dunk b Samuels 13
DJ Bravo c Cottrell b Laughlin 6
N Pooran c Dunk b Athanaze 9
J Searles run out 1
K Cooper not out 7
S Badree lbw Hogg 0
S Benn b Laughlin 2
S Gabriel c Samuels b Cottrell 0
Extras lb4, w13 17
Total all out (17.3ovs) 113
Fall of wkts: 1, 29, 50, 67, 88, 88, 97, 97, 112, 113.
Bowling: S Cottrell 3.3-0-14-2 (2w), C Brathwaite 2-0-17-0, B Laughlin 3-1-7-3, M Samuels 4-0-26-1, J Athanaze 3-0-25-2 (1w), B Hogg 2-0-20-1 (2w).
Hawksbills inns
M Samuels c Pooran b Gabriel 23
B Dunk c O'Brien b Gabriel 8
O Peters c Badree b Cooper 19
D Hussey lbw Cooper 24
D Thomas not out 15
C Cottrell b O'Brien 3
C Brathwaite not out 20
Extras lb2 2
Total 5 wkts (18.3ovs) 114
Fall of wkts: 31, 36, 58, 83, 88.
Bowling: S Benn 4-0-17-0, S Badree 4-0-16-0, S Gabriel 4-0-16-2, D Bravo 1-0-12-0, K Cooper 3.3-0-22-2, K O'Brien 2-0-29-1.
Result: Hawksbills won by five wkts.
Man of the match: Ben Laughlin.?