Legions dominate Titans in convincing six-wicket victory

TAROUBA, Trinidad (CMC):

THE TRINIDAD & Tobago Legions produced a clinical performance to defeat the Jamaica Titans by six wickets in the seventh match of the West Indies Breakout League at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy yesterday.

Sent in to bat, the Jamaica Titans faced early setbacks and never fully recovered, managing only 127 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Openers Zion Brathwaite (37 from 30 balls) and Leroy Lugg (30 from 25), provided some resistance, but the middle order collapsed dramatically, the Titans losing three wickets for just six runs in a disastrous passage of play.

The Titans slipped from 55 for 3 to 61 for 6, with McKenny Clarke bagging 2-14, Navin Bidaisee 2-19, and Johann Layne 2-27, leading a disciplined bowling attack for the Legions. Reon Edwards (15 not out), offered late resistance, but the total proved insufficient in the end.

In reply, the Legions lost early wickets but were steadied by a composed 45 from Kamil Pooran, who anchored the innings. Wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva (31) contributed a valuable knock before Bidaisee (29 not out) sealed the victory with nine balls to spare.

The Titans’ bowlers struggled for breakthroughs, with only Andrew Rambaran (2-23) making an impact, as the Legions cruised to 130 for 4 in 18.3 overs to continue their unbeaten run in the tournament.

Pelicans beat Volcanoes

In Tuesday’s late game, the Barbados Pelicans, on the back of half-centuries from Shian Brathwaite and Kevin Wickham, and some miserly death bowling from Niam Young, narrowly defeated the Windward Islands Volcanoes by one run.

Asked to take the first strike, the Pelicans got off to a shaky start, losing three wickets in four overs with just 33 runs on the board.

Seamer Keon Gaston was the man who did the early damage, removing opener Kadeem Allyne for 22 and then Shaqkere Parris for one, before Ryan John had snapped up wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher for one.

Wickham came to join opener Brathwaite, and the pair rescued the innings with a 99-run, fourth-wicket stand, before Wickham was bowled in the 16th over for a well-played 64 from 46 balls with six fours and three sixes.

Off-spinner Avinash Mahabirsingh, who picked up the wicket of Wickham, also sent back Joshua Bishop for one, to finish with 2-28.

In reply, the Infernos also lost two wickets in the power play at 32 for two, and a steady procession of wickets would follow to leave them in a spot of bother at 84 for five in the 10th over.

It took a spirited knock of 61 from 42 balls from Teddy Bishop to keep them in the chase. The fall of Bishop’s wicket in the 18th over almost signalled the end for the Infernos, but a battling 30 from Gaston and 26 from Shadrack Descarte saw them fall just short in the chase at 198 for nine.

Young finished with 3-29 to seal the first win for the Pelicans.