T&T make dream start to Champions League
Published:Tuesday | October 13, 2009 | 4:15 PM
Caribbean champions Trinidad and Tobago made a dream start to the Champions League Twenty20 Monday when they used a clinical all-round performance to crush Somerset by 44 runs, according to a report on www.cananews.net.
Electing to bat first, T&T gathered a sturdy 150 for nine off their 20 overs and then bowled out the English county for 106 in the Group A fixture at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“We went out there, we assessed conditions and we played how we wanted to play cricket,” winning captain Daren Ganga said.
The result vaulted T&T to the top of the group on net run-rate over Somerset, who had upset Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Deccan Chargers on Saturday.
Set 151 to win, Somerset were under pressure throughout after dipping to 28 for three after six overs.
The effervescent international all-rounder Dwayne Bravo claimed back-to-back wickets, dislodging Marcus Trescothick (3) and Craig Kieswetter (4) and spinner Sherwin Ganga sent back captain Justin Langer (15).
South African Zander de Bruyn stroked an unbeaten 43 but he and Langer were the only batsmen avoiding the ignominy of single digit scores against a rampant T&T bowling attack.
Man of the match Sherwin Ganga picked up two for 16 off three overs with his off-spin and left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed bagged two for 18 off four overs.
The South African Willoughby bagged three for 35 off four overs, and his new-ball partner Alfonso Thomas claimed a pair of late wickets to finish with two for 26, while Waller (2-27) and Phillips (1-43) picked up the other wickets.
T&T, joint top of the Group A table, on two points with Somerset, will tackle Deccan Chargers on Wednesday.