Skipper Imran Khan and his T&T Red Force finished off their preliminary round play in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup with a crushing 10-wicket victory over the West Indies Emerging Players at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, on Monday.
With the win, the Red Force moved to 28 points and finished atop the standings in Group B and, more importantly, avenged the only loss they suffered in the preliminary phase to the Emerging Players.
The Red Force will now play the Leewards Hurricanes later this week in the semi-final at the same venue, while the Barbados Pride will play either the Emerging Players or the Guyana Jaguars, who were given a chance to squeeze into the semis if they could get past the United States in their game.
Batting first, the Emerging Players had no answers to the Red Force bowlers and made only 78.
The situation could have been much worse for the Emerging players but for an innings of 43 runs from Justin Greaves. The right-hander batted through the innings, which lasted only 27.1 overs and scored 43 off 69 balls with five hits to the fence.
But the result never seemed in doubt as after the fifth over, the Emerging Players were 11-3 after pacer Anderson Phillip ripped out Kamani Melius (8), Gidron Pope (1) and Joshua Da Silva (1). After his good early work, the spinners led by skipper Imran Khan, took over to finish the innings.
Leg-spinner Khan dismissed three batsmen for just 19 runs, while there were two wickets apiece for Akeal Hosein (2/7) and Jon-Russ Jaggessar (2/29).
T&T openers Jeremy Solozano and Keagan Simmons, playing his first match this season, then blasted away in the Power Play and took their team home at 79-0 in 17.3 overs.
Solozano, who fell away a bit after a fine century to begin the tournament, was able to regain his touch leading into the semis. The left-hander scored a languid 43 not out off 59 balls with five fours and a six. He was able to guide the talented Simmons along the way and the youngster ended with a confidence-boosting 27 not out off 47 balls with four fours.
The West Indies Emerging players were then fixed on the Guyana Jaguars versus USA game at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. If Guyana wins they move into the semis, while if the Americans win the Emerging players will force their way into the knockout stage.
SCORES:
WI EMERGING PLAYERS 78 all out (27.1) (Justin Greaves 43, Anderson Phillip 3/23, Imran Khan 3/19, Akeal Hosein 2/7, Jon-Russ Jaggessar 2/29) v T&T RED FORCE 79-0 (17.3) (Jeremy Solozano 43no, Keagan Simmons 27no)
Result: Red Force won by 10 wkts