PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – West Indies left-hander Darren Bravo wasted little time in reminding selectors of his immense talent, smashing an unbeaten hundred to lift Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Windward Islands Volcanoes in the Super50 Cup yesterday.
In pursuit of a competitive 239 under lights at Queen’s Park Oval, Red Force stormed to their target in the 43rd over with Bravo carving out a handsome 115 and fellow left-hander Jeremy Solozano hitting 102 not out.
Together, they posted a record 226-run for the third wicket to pull their side around from danger at 13 for two in the fourth over.
Bravo, left out of the West Indies side currently in India for the Afghanistan series, struck five fours and eight sixes in 127 balls at the crease to mark his seventh List A hundred and clinch Man-of-the-Match honours.
Solozano, meanwhile, notched his maiden regional one-day hundred, facing 118 balls and counting nine fours and two sixes all told.
Darren Bravo (right) and Jeremy Solozano put the Volcanoes’ bowlers to the sword.
Asked to bat first in the Group B contest, Volcanoes did well to get up to 238 for eight off their 50 overs, after a late flourish from Alick Athanaze who smashed a 23-ball 28 and Kerron Cottoy who lashed a 15-ball unbeaten 27.
Desron Maloney had earlier marked his debut with a half-century, stroking 56 off 81 balls with five fours as he put on 46 off 42 balls for the first wicket with veteran left-hander Devon Smith (24).
When Smith missed a wild heave at seamer Anderson Phillip and had his stumps rattled in the seventh over, Maloney found an ally in Kavem Hodge (57) to add a further 62 for the second wicket.
Hodge’s knock was a slow one, requiring 105 balls and including one four and a six, and it put the innings under pressure, leaving Volcanoes struggling especially after they lost three wickets for 15 runs in the space of 31 balls to be 123 for four in the 33rd over.
Emmanuel Stewart arrived to punch two fours and sixes in a 34-ball 31, adding a vital 48 for the fifth wicket with Hodge who eventually perished after adding a further 28 for the sixth wicket with Athanaze, bowled by left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley in the 46th over.
In reply, Red Force stumbled early when Tion Webster (5) feathered one from off-spinner Shane Shillingford through to wicketkeeper Stewart in the second over and Kyle Hope followed two overs later for five.
But that was the end of Volcanoes’ success as Bravo and Solozano dominated the attack. Bravo brought up his hundred off 113 balls at the start of the 39th over with a giant six over mid-wicket off leg-spinner Cottoy and Solozano followed him at the end of the 42nd, reaching his landmark by clearing the mid-wicket ropes with left-arm spinner Hodge.
