T&T and Jamaica set up final clash
A round-up of the semi-finals from the Caribbean T20
ESPNcricinfo staff
22-Jan-2012
Kieron Pollard's counter-attacking innings took Trinidad and Tobago to the final • Randy Brooks/West Indies Cricket Board
Jamaica sealed their place in the final of the Caribbean T20 with a comfortable win over Windward Islands at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Windwards had won four games on the trot in the lead-up to the semis but lost their way with the bat in a crunch game. Opting to bat, they failed to capitalise and soon found themselves struggling at 36 for 4. Only opener Johnson Charles and wicketkeeper Lindon James made any significant contributions with a run-a-ball 29 and a steady, unbeaten 37 respectively.
The pair added 40 for the fifth wicket but tight bowling prevented the surge that Windwards would have desired in the late overs. In the end, they had to settle for 98 for 8 in 20 overs. Seamer Krishmar Santokie followed up on his hat-trick in the previous game with two wickets, supported by Sheldon Cotterrell and Odean Brown who also picked up two each.
Jamaica suffered a setback in their chase when they lost three wickets for three runs, slipping from 33 for no loss to 36 for 3. But Marlon Samuels and captain David Bernard steadied the innings with a 37-run stand. Both fell in quick succession, within a space of five runs, but Carlton Baugh, the wicketkeeper, and Andre Russell batted calmly in an unbeaten 21-run stand to see their team through with two overs to spare.
Trinidad and Tobago hammered Barbados at the Kensington Oval to book a final clash with Jamaica. On a day where a three-digit score wasn't reached, Barbados, after choosing to bat, were skittled out for 90. After a 17-run opening-wicket stand, their innings never really got going and persistent strikes kept them to a below-par score. Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich top-scored with 21 but the T&T bowlers cut through the rest of the line-up. Dwayne Bravo led the way with three wickets, and was assisted by Kevon Cooper, Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree, each of whom picked up two wickets in miserly spells.
Early strikes by Ryan Hinds and Fidel Edwards left T&T in some trouble in the chase, reducing them to 45 for 5 at one stage. But Kieron Pollard came to his team's rescue, making an unbeaten 31 off 23 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, and adding a match-winning 48 with Jason Mohammed. T&T won with six overs to spare.
The final between Jamaica and T&T will be played on January 22. Barbados play Windwards for the third-place play-off on the same day.