The T&T Red Force team gave a pathetic showing going under by 246 runs to Leewards Islands Hurricanes on the final day of their Cricket West Indies (CWI) Championship Four-day clash at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando yesterday.
Set 342 runs to win, the home-team was routed for 96 runs - losing all 10 wickets for just 54 runs, after an opening partnership of 42.
Windies fast bowler Alzari Joseph ran through Red Force batting, finishing with four wickets for 22 runs to send a signal to the English who will be visiting the region soon. Also playing a hand in the local's demise was off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, who took 4/29. Joseph ended the match with seven wickets, while Cornwall took eight.
The Red Force team leaves today for Jamaica for its fourth round match with two changes. Pacer Shannon Gabriel misses out due to personal commitments and off-spinner Bryan Charles will be playing with the Windies A against England in Barbados.
The two players coming into the team will be middle order batsman Darren Bravo and fast bowler Odean Smith.
Starting the day on the bedtime position of 26 without loss the Red Force looked good and the overnight pair of Jeremy Solozano and Kyle Hope reeled off three quick boundaries. After half an hour’s play Hope edged Sheno Berridge to Montcin Hodge at slip for 17.
Half an hour later another wicket fell as Amir Jangoo fell to Berridge. The left-hander pulled a delivery that was short and was brilliantly caught at short midwicket by Devon Thomas.
Jason Mohammed and Solozano then got together and the latter continued to find the gaps. However, on the stroke of another half hour, a wicket fell. Mohammed was caught by Berridge running back from mid-on as he advanced down the track to Rahkeem Cornwall, looking to go over the top.
A few minutes after, Leewards got the big fish in skipper Denesh Ramdin.
The right-hander seemed a bit unlucky as replays showed he was struck outside the off stump but was sent leg before to Cornwall.
With the score at 78 for four, the locals were looking in the direction of Solozano but he also left without addition his score. He was bowled all over the place by Alzari Joseph for 42. He faced 99 balls and struck eight fours in his fighting knock. As if his dismissal was not bad enough, Joshua Da Silva fell in the same over with the score unchanged.
The right-hander got a delivery that kept low and he was trapped leg-before. The drama was not over for T&T, as Imran Khan also fell with the score at 78, making it 78 for seven. He was ripped out by a fired-up Joseph.
It appeared getting a run for the Red Force was more difficult than getting US currency, and even so, another wicket fell. Daniel St. Clair was at the end of an unplayable bouncer that led to him being caught behind with the score stagnant at 78 for eight. Not a run was to be had before T&T hearts sunk further, as Yannic Carriah the last of the recognised batsmen fell to Cornwall with the score on 78.