CPL games ...Saturday 12 July 2014

[socafighter]

Bravo wants early win against Pollard
By st george’s \\\\\ Garth Wattley
Story Created: Jul 11, 2014 at 9:05 PM ECT
Express

Dwayne Bravo and his Red Steel will be aiming for early success on the road when they take on Kieron Pollard’s Barbados Tridents today in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League today. The two Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies teammates face each other in the first match of a double-header at 10.30 a.m. at the National Cricket Stadium.

And Bravo in particular will be eager to win this battle in order to avoid a repeat of the scenario last year when the Red Steel lost by 19 runs to the Guyana Amazon Warriors in their opening match and were then beaten by four wickets by the Tridents and five runs by the Jamaica Tallawahs to be winless in their first three matches.

“Last year, one of our downfalls, we started bad; we started very slow in the tournament; we lost our first three games but was still able to make it to the semi-finals which to me was a great achievement,” Bravo noted. “I’ve stressed (to the players) to make sure that we start better than last year. If we can start off with a win, we have three games again on the road, so within those three games, if we can win two out of those three, heading to Trinidad, it’s going to be a different ball game.”
Pollard’s Tridents had the opposite problem. They began the 2013 CPL with four consecutive wins but lost momentum after qualifying for the semi-finals. “In the back end of the tournament we made a couple changes but you look back and you think about what you did wrong and try to improve that...That’s gone, that’s 2013, this is 2014 and we have to forget about last year and think about this year and at the end of the tournament, you’ll be telling me something different,” he said.

Bravo sought to quell doubts about his readiness for the series. “I will be taking part in the tournament full time,” he said. “My fitness level will be getting better each and every game I play. I had a very good warm-up game the last Saturday before coming here, so it’s been good.”

Like Bravo, Pollard was happy to be playing gain after knee surgery last year and was keen to contribute fully for the Tridents. “That injury I had it could have been career-ending and the work I put in to actually get back on the cricket field is a great feeling for myself but me personally, I’m just looking to do what is required for the team; try to lead by example and try to have my inputs with both bat, ball and in the field,” he said.

[socafighter]

St. Lucia Zouks v Jamaica Tallawahs @2:30pm  7/12/2014


Limacol Caribbean Premier League
Friday, July 11 2014
newsday


THE 2014 Limacol Caribbean Premier League begins today, from 2 pm at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada. The league will run from July 11 to August 16 with 30 matches taking place over 37 days.

The tournament will kick-off with the Guyana Amazon Warriors, captained by new West Indies Test skipper Denesh Ramdin and featuring global T20 stars Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons, taking on Antigua Hawksbills, led by Marlon Samuels, coached by former Australian boss Tim Nielsen, and mentored by Sir Viv Richards.

Speaking at yesterday’s launch, the League’s chief executive officer (CEO) Damien O’Donohoe, captains, coaches and legendary West Indies mentors, all speak of their excitement for the competition, and promised a bigger, better and even more exciting spectacle than last year’s tournament, thereby upholding its nickname ‘Biggest Party in Sport.’

Players including Kieron Pollard, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle and Daniel Vettori have been getting into the swing of things as they took part in a beach cricket match with local youngsters in Grenada, experiencing first hand the excitement that people on the Spice Isle have for the arrival of the CPL.

Tomorrow, legendary West Indies openers Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes go head-to-head as team mentors and the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, led by Dwayne Bravo, face off against Keiron Pollard’s Barbados Tridents.

The opening weekend draws to a close with Chris Gayle’s defending champions, Jamaica Tallawahs, taking on West Indies T20 captain, Darren Sammy, and the St Lucia Zouks.

“After the huge success of the inaugural tournament, we’ve got a lot to live up to, but we’re confident this year will be even better,” said O’Donohoe. “We’ve got some fantastic players, coaches and mentors on board and you can expect bigger hitting, bigger crowds and an even bigger party.”

Gayle remarked, “there’s nothing better than playing in front of full crowds in the Caribbean. CPL is the Biggest Party in Sport and I’ve already seen how excited everybody is for the tournament to come to Grenada, so I can’t wait to give the fans something to cheer about.”

Trinidad-born ex-India all-rounder Robin Singh, coach of Barbados Tridents said, “I’ve coached and played all over the world, but the atmosphere in CPL is something else. The players are raring to go and we’re looking forward to putting on a good show for the people of the Caribbean.”

Richards noted, “last year’s tournament was a massive success. The cricket was of high quality, and it reignited local recognition in the domestic game, so I’m looking forward to more of the same in 2014.”

The final week of the tournament, at Warner Park in St Kitts, will host ‘Beefy’s Bash’, and All- Star charity match featuring Sir Ian Botham, Brian Lara and Piers Morgan, as well as a concert by American hip-hop megastar, Rick Ross.

[socafighter]

Barbados Tridents
DR Smith SO Dowrich† Shoaib Malik, ND McKenzie, KA Pollard*, JL Carter, AR Nurse, RR Emrit, JO Holder, AJ Hosein, R Rampaul   

Red Steel team
E Lewis, Nasir Jamshed, DM Bravo, LRPL Taylor, KJ O'Brien, DJ Bravo*, N Pooran†, KK Cooper, SJ Benn, S Badree, FH Edwards


Game live.....http://www.cricmelive.com/bt-sports-2-live-streaming.php

[socafighter]

Barbados Tridents 124/6 (20/20 ov)

Red Steel 125/3 (17.3/20 ov)


Red Steel won by 7 wickets (with 15 balls remaining)


Caribbean Premier League - 2nd match
Twenty20 match | 2014 season
Played at National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada


12 July 2014 (20-over match)
    BARBADOS TRIDENTS innings (20 overs maximum)   R   B   4s   6s   SR

DR Smith   c DM Bravo b Badree   13   16   1   1   81.25
SO Dowrich†    b Cooper   37   38   5   0   97.36
Shoaib Malik   c Taylor b O'Brien   21   23   0   2   91.30
ND McKenzie   c DJ Bravo b O'Brien   7   9   0   0   77.77
KA Pollard*   c & b DJ Bravo   7   12   1   0   58.33
JL Carter   c Edwards b DJ Bravo   5   7   0   0   71.42
JO Holder   not out   17   9   1   1   188.88
AR Nurse   not out   6   6   0   0   100.00
Extras   (lb 8, w 3)   11            
    Total   (6 wickets; 20 overs)   124   (6.20 runs per over)

Did not batRR Emrit, AJ Hosein, R Rampaul

    Bowling   O   M   R   W   Econ   
 FH Edwards   3   0   12   0   4.00   
S Badree   4   0   24   1   6.00   (1w)
KK Cooper   4   0   30   1   7.50   
 SJ Benn   4   0   27   0   6.75   
DJ Bravo   3   0   17   2   5.66   (2w)
KJ O'Brien   2   0   6   2   3.00   
    


RED STEEL innings (target: 125 runs from 20 overs)   R   B   4s   6s   SR

Nasir Jamshed   c Nurse b Shoaib Malik   0   1   0   0   0.00
E Lewis   c McKenzie b Rampaul   4   9   0   0   44.44
LRPL Taylor   lbw b Rampaul   62   51   6   1   121.56
DM Bravo   not out   54   42   3   3   128.57
N Pooran†   not out   1   2   0   0   50.00
Extras   (lb 1, w 3)   4            
    
Total   (3 wickets; 17.3 overs)   125   (7.14 runs per over)

Did not bat KJ O'Brien, DJ Bravo*, KK Cooper, SJ Benn, S Badree, FH Edwards

    Bowling   O   M   R   W   Econ   
Shoaib Malik   2   0   16   1   8.00   
R Rampaul   3   0   18   2   6.00   
JO Holder   4   0   17   0   4.25   
 RR Emrit   2   0   18   0   9.00   
 AR Nurse   2   0   12   0   6.00   (1w)
 AJ Hosein   3   0   26   0   8.66   (1w)
    
KA Pollard   1   0   9   0   9.00   
 DR Smith   0.3   0   8   0   16.00   (1w)


Ross Taylor has been adjudged Man of the Match for his match winning innings.

[socafighter]

    JAMAICA TALLAWAHS team   
CH Gayle*, CAK Walton, OA Shah, J Blackwood, AC Voges, J Theron, AD Russell, CS Baugh†, DL Vettori, NO Miller, JE Taylor

St Lucia Zouks
J Charles†,H Davids. ADS Fletcher, K Lesporis, SW Ambris, DJG Sammy*, RE van der Merwe, Sohail Tanvir, S Shillingford, GE Mathurin, M Mathew

[socafighter]

St Lucia Zouks 161/5 (20/20 ov)

Jamaica Tallawahs 162/3 (19.0/20 ov)

Jamaica Tallawahs won by 7 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)


Caribbean Premier League - 3rd match
Twenty20 match | 2014 season
Played at National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada

12 July 2014 (20-over match)
    ST LUCIA ZOUKS innings (20 overs maximum)   R   B   4s   6s   SR
J Charles   st †Baugh b Miller   27   23   4   0   117.39
H Davids    b Theron   56   38   5   2   147.36
ADS Fletcher†   st †Baugh b Vettori   27   26   2   2   103.84
DJG Sammy*   not out   29   22   3   0   131.81
K Lesporis   c Blackwood b Russell   6   6   0   0   100.00
Sohail Tanvir   c Theron b Russell   4   3   1   0   133.33
SW Ambris   not out   1   2   0   0   50.00
Extras   (b 1, w 10)   11            
    Total   (5 wickets; 20 overs)   161   (8.05 runs per over)

Did not bat RE van der Merwe, S Shillingford, GE Mathurin, M Mathew

    Bowling   O   M   R   W   Econ   
DL Vettori   4   0   32   1   8.00   (1w)
JE Taylor   4   0   43   0   10.75   (6w)
J Theron   4   0   31   1   7.75   (1w)
NO Miller   4   0   11   1   2.75   
AD Russell   3   0   27   2   9.00   (1w)
AC Voges   1   0   16   0   16.00   (1w)


    JAMAICA TALLAWAHS innings (target: 162 runs from 20 overs)   R   B   4s   6s   SR

CAK Walton   c Lesporis b Sohail Tanvir   23   12   3   1   191.66
CH Gayle*   not out   111   63   5   10   176.19
J Blackwood   c Davids b Shillingford   8   18   0   0   44.44
AC Voges   c †Fletcher b Mathew   15   21   0   0   71.42
AD Russell   not out   0   0   0   0   -
Extras   (lb 1, w 4)   5
            
    Total   (3 wickets; 19 overs)   162   (8.52 runs per over)

Did not batJ Theron, OA Shah, CS Baugh†, DL Vettori, NO Miller, JE Taylor


    Bowling   O   M   R   W   Econ   
M Mathew   4   0   54   1   13.50   (2w)
Sohail Tanvir   4   0   14   1   3.50   
GE Mathurin   2   0   23   0   11.50   
S Shillingford   4   0   18   1   4.50   (1w)
DJG Sammy   2   0   28   0   14.00   (1w)
RE van der Merwe   3   0   24   0   8.00   


Player of the match - CH Gayle (Jamaica Tallawahs)

[socafighter]

Darren Bravo, Ross Taylor guide Red Steel home
ESPNcricinfo staff
July 12, 2014

Red Steel 125 for 3 (Taylor 62, Darren Bravo 54*) beat Barbados Tridents 124 for 6 (Dowrich 37, Dwayne Bravo 2-17, Kevin O'Brien 2-6) by seven wickets

Fifties from Darren Bravo and Ross Taylor helped the Red Steel overcome a shaky start and chase down 125 against Barbados Tridents to begin their CPL campaign on a winning note in Grenada.

After their seamers had done a good job of restricting Tridents to 124, Red Steel began their chase in the worst possible manner when their opener Nasir Jamshed edged Shoaib Malik to first slip off the very first ball of the innings. They were dealt another blow three overs later when Evin Lewis also departed cheaply, leaving Red Steel precariously placed at 20 for 2 after four overs.

Any hopes Tridents had for an unlikely win, however, were quickly dashed by a resolute third-wicket stand worth 95 between Darren Bravo and Taylor. Both batsmen were happy collecting singles at the beginning and at one stage went more than four overs without a boundary, but as the target inched closer, they began to open up.

Darren Bravo looted Akeal Hossein for 17 runs off the 15th over, including two sixes down the ground, and followed it up with another big hit in the next over off Rayad Emrit. Taylor provided ample support during the partnership, stroking six fours and a six during a 51-ball 62, but could not quite take Red Steel over the line himself as he was trapped lbw by Ravi Rampaul in the 17th over.

Taylor's wicket, however, was too little too late for Tridents, as Darren Bravo steered the team to a seven-wicket victory with 15 balls remaining. He remained unbeaten on 54, hitting three fours and sixes apiece.

Earlier, Red Steel, having won the toss, sent Tridents in to bat. Shane Dowrich and Dwayne Smith began with a solid opening stand of 40, but incisive bowling from Red Steel's pacers ensured that the run-rate stayed under seven an over. Dowrich top-scored with 37, but received little assistance at the other end, as a middle-order wobble meant Tridents slumped from 83 for 2 to 99 for 6.

Jason Holder accelerated towards the end with a 9-ball 17, but could not make a significant difference to the team, as by then Dwayne Bravo, who was making his first competitive appearance since sustaining an injury in the IPL, and Kevin O'Brien had already snared two scalps apiece to doom Tridents to a below-par total.

[D.H.W]

Gayle = Domestic bully

[D.H.W]

Rampaul really let himself go. He is way overweight

[socafighter]

Chris Gayle show in Grenada
By Garth Wattley
Story Created: Jul 12, 2014 at 8:42 PM ECT
Express

 “Injury-wise, still a bit if and buts, but I can manage it,” Chris Gayle had said on Thursday. He more than managed yesterday at the National Cricket Stadium; he manhandled, massacred, mowed down the St Lucia Zouks bowling.

The game was a simple one for him: put bat to ball and watch it fly. And Gayle made it fly everywhere in another innings for T20 folklore. The big man plundered his 12th century in T20 cricket-- 111 not out off a meagre 63 balls as the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs made light of the St Lucia Zouks’ 161 for five, to win their opening match by seven wickets with an over to spare.

Getting the highest total of the opening weekend to that point was nowhere near enough in the end for the Zouks as Gayle launched his 10 sixes and five fours to  all parts. “When he plays like that I like to be on the same side,” Zouks captain Darren Sammy said ruefully after the match. “The presence of Gayle was always going to take the game away from us.”
For all the frenzy he created in a bubbling crowd, it was more like business as usual for Gayle.

“Being the opening batsman you want to bat all 20 overs so definitely that will always be in the back of your mind,” he said. “I just played normal as usual, gave myself a chance to get accustomed to the wicket and we lost Chadwick there and (with) still 2.3 overs left for powerplay...we tried to lift off and it paid off.”

“The most important thing,” he stressed, “was batting right down to the end. “You didn’t get a score and settle for it...Whoever gets themselves into this sort of position needs to carry the team over the line.”

The captain did that yesterday, ending the match in a flurry of boundaries. Gayle, bothered by back problems coming into this series and playing with painkillers, had transferred his pain to the Zouks bowlers. And the Stadium was more than happy for that. Yesterday, the biggest party in sports was in Grenada.

[socafighter]

Red Steel start hot
By By Garth Wattley St George’s
Story Created: Jul 12, 2014 at 8:44 PM ECT
Express

Dwayne Bravo’s Red Steel made hay in the Grenada sunshine yesterday. Their disciplined bowlers took advantage of some indisciplined Barbados Tridents batting and Man-of-the-Match Ross Taylor and Darren Bravo then ensured that their side completed a seven-wicket win with little fuss.

The Red Steel completed victory at the National Cricket Stadium with 15 balls to spare, with Bravo’s 54th run completing proceedings. “It’s good to start with a win, I think that will ease some pressure on us and I am very glad the guys executed and delivered today,” skipper Dwayne Bravo said afterwards.


The Red Steel lost their first three games in the inaugural season of the LCPL last year, and Darren Bravo went through the series without a half century. But he put that right immediately this time, in partnership with Taylor (62, 51 balls, six fours, one six), who also had a lean 2013. The pair added a match-clinching 95 for the third wicket, chasing just 125 for victory, with Taylor fluent and composed right from the start and Bravo finding his rhythm as the innings progressed.

Earlier, the Tridents had briefly given themselves hope of pressing the Red Steel when Shoaib Malik removed Nasir Jamshed, first ball of the innings, caught at slip and Ravi Rampaul had Evin Lewis caught on the hook at deep backward square by Neil McKenzie.

But Kieron Pollard’s side, deprived of the all-round skills of banned Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, simply did not make enough runs after Bravo won the toss and inserted them. “We weren’t at our best today and I think Trinidad and Tobago, sorry, Red Steel deserved to win...We lost one of our biggest players in the last week or so; we had to struggle to get a replacement..We only played with two overseas players (Malik and McKenzie.)”
There was no sharp edge to the Tridents innings. They were blunted by a solid collective bowling effort by the Red Steel. The Tridents never gathered momentum after the first six powerplay overs which ended with them on 40 for one. It would have been a perfect start had Dwayne Smith not given Darren Bravo on the long-on boundary catching practice off Samuel Badree.

Shane Dowrich who shared in that opening stand with Smith, could not supply the same explosiveness as his departed partner, but his was an attractive 37 off 38 balls before he was fourth out at the start of the 16th over, bowled by Kevon Cooper, trying to get on with it.
But it was Kevin O’Brien who set the Tridents back on their heels after Dowrich and Shoaib Malik put on 34 for the second wicket.

The Irishman removed Malik and South Africa veteran McKenzie in each of his first two overs, while skipper Bravo snuffed out any late innings momentum the Tridents might have gathered by removing Pollard who gave a skier of a return catch following a top-edged pull, and Jonathan Carter, caught in the midwicket region off another skier. Jason Holder with 17 off nine balls boosted the total somewhat at the end. But 124 for six was hardly going to be enough. Taylor and Bravo made sure the Red Steel cut to the chase.

[socafighter]

Red Steel straighten out Tridents
Published: Guardian
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Vinode Mamchan
 
 

Red Steel’s Darren Bravo scored a 42-ball 54 against Barbados Tridents during the Caribbean
Premier League in St George’s, Grenada, yesterday. Red Steel won by seven wickets.


There are four T&T players on the Barbados Tridents team, including their captain Kieron Pollard, and going into their opening Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 clash against Red Steel there was a lot of ‘ole talk’ from both teams. In the end, Pollard, Rayad Emrit, Ravi Rampaul and Akeal Hosein had to eat humble pie, as Red Steel took a comfortable seven-wicket victory to get their campaign on the way at St George’s, Grenada. A fine all-round bowling performance restricted the Tridents to 124 for six off their 20 overs and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor then gave a lesson in sensible batting to take the Red Steel home.

Taylor, who is capable of huge hitting, came in early at the fall of Nasir Jamshed’s wicket and guided the innings along. He and the attractive Darren Bravo looked the part and in the end it was a walk in the park. Taylor played authentic cricket shots, realising that the run rate was not too steep and Bravo was with him run for run. The two weathered the early storm to add 50 runs off 49 balls and then eased into the target thereafter. The New Zealander brought up his half century off 41 balls with six fours and with the foundation set, Bravo decided to thrill the crowd, who left their Saturday market to come to view the cricket. He had some lusty hits that was greeted with great cheer as it was clear that the fans here were supporting the Red Steel.

Taylor fell just before the end, leg before to Rampaul but by then his “Trini” mates were already laughing. Taylor made 62 off 51 balls with five fours and a six. His association with Bravo was worth 95 runs in 12.3 overs. When the victory came, Bravo was unbeaten on 54 off 42 balls with three fours and three sixes. The victory avenged the four-wicket loss the Red Steel suffered at the hands of the Tridents in the inaugural tournament last year. Earlier, captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and decided to have first use of the pitch, as he wanted his quick bowler Fidel Edwards to enjoy the early moisture. Edwards—as he showed in Bravo’s music video—danced all over the openers in two overs that troubled the Tridents and cost only six runs.
 
Shane Dowrich and Dwayne Smith decided to attack from the other end and Samuel Badree felt their wrath. Bravo to his credit did not allow the batsmen to settle against any bowler and frequently made changes. Badree did, however, come back for the last over of the power-play and got the wicket of Smith. With the score on 40, he had the Chennai Super Kings hard-hitter caught on the long-on boundary for 13. At the fall of this wicket, the Red Steel failed to push on and looked flat in the midday sun. Sulieman Benn kept on calling on wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran to keep the players on their feet and it worked. Bravo took the ball and sent down two tidy overs from the Media Centre End and his men started to respond.
 
At the end of the tenth over, the score was 67 for one and this necessitated big hitting. With this always comes wickets and the Irishman Kevin O’Brien obliged, sending back Pakistani Shoaib Malik for a 23-ball 21 and South African Neil McKenzie for seven. All the while Dowrich was gathering his runs quietly at the other end. As the pressure built, he too threw caution to the wind and was dismissed by Kevon Cooper for 37. He faced 38 balls and struck five fours. At 84 for four with five overs to go, skipper Pollard was the right man for the occasion. He took five balls to get off the mark and just as he started to find his range, so too did Bravo, having him caught and bowled for seven. The right-arm medium-pacer then helped Jonathan Carter on his way to the dug out and it took a nine-ball 17 from Jason Holder to give the Tridents their eventual score off 124 for six in 20 overs. Bravo finished with two for 17 and O’Brien fetched two for six.

The Red Steel’s next assignment is in Guyana where they play the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Thursday.