Leeward Islands edge T&T in a two-run thriller

Leeward Islands 244 for 9 (Morton 75, Cornwall 59, Willett 61) beat Trinidad & Tobago 242 (Ganga 62) by 2 runs
Scorecard

Runako Morton was named the Man of the Match for his sparkling 75 © Getty Images

In the gathering gloom, Gavin Tonge claimed a wicket with the first ball of the last over to earn Leeward Islands a miraculous, two-run victory in their third round match of the KFC Cup limited-overs competition over Trinidad and Tobago yesterday at the Carlton Club.

Chasing 245 runs from their allocation of 50 overs, T&T required three runs from the final over, and Sylvester Joseph, the Leewards captain, entrusted Tonge with the responsibility of being his side's hero. With his first delivery-a fast, straight, full-length ball-Tonge forced Denesh Ramdin onto the backfoot and to play across the line, and gained a palpable lbw verdict from umpire Eddie Nicholls.

It was the Leewards' second win of the competition, following a nine-wicket triumph over Jamaica in the opening round, and a tie against Guyana in the second round. For T&T, the reigning champions of the West Indies limited-overs competition, it was their third straight defeat and leaves their chances of qualifying for the Final Four in Guyana next week nothing short of a lottery.

Daren Ganga,T&T captain, hit four fours and one six in the top score for his side of 62 from 97 balls. Omari Banks was the most successful Leewards bowler with three wickets for 25 runs from ten overs, and Tonge took two for 60 from 9.1 overs.

Leewards built their total upon half-centuries from Runako Morton, who was named Man-of-the-Match, Tonito Willett, and Wilden Cornwall. Morton hit just two fours and one six to lead the way with 75 from 115 balls and shared a century, fourth-wicket partnership with Cornwall, whose 59 from 65 balls contained half-dozen fours and one six. But Willett's 61 from 56 balls that included five fours and two sixes beefed up the Leewards' total, after they had dipped to 198 for five in the 45th over. Ravi Rampaul snared three wickets for 41 runs from ten overs, while Sherwin Ganga and Mervyn Dillon collected two apiece.

T&T subsided to 187 for eight in the 42nd over before Ramdin, who struck three boundaries in 48 from 73 balls, added 41 for the ninth wicket with Rampaul to give their side a chance.Rampaul, however, was run out in the 48th over, backing up too far, for 31 from 25 balls that included four fours, leaving Ramdin and Dillon to bring the bacon home for T&T.

But Tonge snuffed out their hopes of a first win with his lethal strike. T&T had got away to a flying start, but lost Sherwin Ganga caught behind for six off Curtis Roberts in the fourth over. Just when T&T appeared to be getting on top, Leewards snared three wickets in the space of eight overs to slow their progress. Lendl Simmons was caught behind off Kerry Jeremy for 31 in the 11th over, Dwayne Bravo was caught and bowled by Carl Simon for three in the 14th over, and Gregory Mahabir was also caught behind off Tonge for four in the 19th over.

Ricardo Powell came to the wicket and played a typically enterprising knock of 30 off 28 balls that included four fours and one six. He added 43 with Daren Ganga to consolidate his side's position, but T&T were set back again, when Banks bowled Powell behind his back in the 28th over. T&T continued to persevere with Ganga adding 42 with Ramdin for the sixth wicket before he was run out in the 27th over backing up too far. Ganga was the first of three wickets that tumbled for 14 in the space of eight overs that put T&T under pressure from which they never recovered.

Earlier, Rampaul made two early strikes to set Leewards back on 49 for three in the 16th over. He had Austin Richards Jr caught behind for a duck off the second ball of the match and bowled Junie Mitchum for 14 with an in-swinging yorker in the 11th over.

Sanjiv Gooljar removed Sylvester Joseph, the Leewards captain, caught at deep cover for six, but Morton and Cornwall repaired the damage, when they added 111 in exactly 21 overs. When Cornwall was caught at deep mid wicket off Powell in the 37th over pulling a long-hop, Willett arrived and continued the revival with Morton with some enterprising batting that included a sweetly-lofted six over long-off off Sherwin Ganga. In the 45th over, however, Morton was caught in the covers off Ganga, and following his departure, wickets fell regularly. Leewards lead the competition with 11 points, and tackle Barbados.

T&T are locked at the bottom of the table on no points with winless Jamaica against whom they play today.