Red Force overcome Primus’ Masterclass to reach Super50 Cup Final

Roshon Primus played the List A innings of his life in an attempt to get Barbados Pride into the CG Insurance Super50 Cup final tonight. But in the end, his unbeaten 130 fell just short as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force won their day/night semi-final clash by 10 runs at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, North Sound, Antigua.

Sent in to bat by Barbados Pride skipper Shai Hope, the Red Force overcame a shaky start to ravage the Pride’s bowling attack en route to the highest total of this year’s tournament, 312 for six. In response, Pride lost wickets at inopportune times and slumped to 146 for 6 in the 30th over before Primus belted 10 boundaries and nine sixes in 79 balls of carnage to breathe life into Barbados’ response. A 93-run 7th wicket partnership with fast bowler Akeem Jordan (33) seemed to be taking Barbados close to an incredible win. But then a brain fade from Jordan that led to his run-out by wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo, trying to steal a single off a wide delivery undid much of Pride’s efforts and they eventually ended on 302 for 8.

At the center of Red Force’s total was a magnificent 111 by their captain Nicholas Pooran, along with a solid contribution from opener Jangoo who made 81 off 114 balls with six boundaries and a six. The forgotten Darren Bravo, at least at the international level, made 54 off 65 balls while counting seven boundaries and a six. West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein put the icing on the cake with a blistering 20-ball 42 with three boundaries and three sixes to close out the innings.

This brutal batting was in stark contrast to the opening overs where fast bowler Jordan was virtually unplayable. He repeatedly beat the bats of Jangoo and especially fellow opener Kjorn Ottley whose eight balls faced were simply torture. Jordan put him out of his misery with the eighth ball which he edged behind to keeper Hope for one. That was one run more than former West Indies batsman Jason Mohammed managed as Jordan rapped him in front the wicket first ball. That made Red Force 2 for 2. But from there it was all uphill for the defending champions.

Jangoo was joined by Bravo at the fall of Mohammed’s wicket and they proceeded to add 92 to bring stability to the innings. Bravo was eventually dismissed by Shamar Springer to a juggling catch on the boundary by Jomel Warrican. That wicket brought Pooran to the middle and the West Indies white ball captain put the Barbados attack to the sword. He and Jangoo added 147 for the fourth wicket. They took the score into the 44th over when Jangoo was dismissed with the score 241. 

Pooran was eventually dismissed off a Springer full toss in the 46th over having struck five boundaries and eight sixes off 82 balls of scintillating stroke play. Springer took 4 for 64 in nine overs to be the chief wicket-taker but the best of the bowlers was undoubtedly Jordan who ended with 2 for 31 in his 10 overs. Spinners Camarie Boyce, Nicholas Kirton and Javed Leacock all went for under five tuns per over and were rather economically. The others took a hammering.

When Pride batted, they were confronted by Shannon Gabriel who bowled with express pace and troubled all the batsmen. In a flash he had Zachary McCaskie back in the pavilion, caught at slip by Sunil Narine for 1. He then dismantled Kyle Hope’s stumps for four before he could get his bat anywhere close to the ball and left the batsman with a bemused look on his face. Narine accounted for skipper Shai Hope for 24 to a catch at the wicket, a crucial dismissal. Jonathan Carter made 45, his first innings of any substance in this year’s tournament and Kirton, an enterprising 31-ball 35. But their dismissals quickly after each other – Carter to Gabriel and Kirton to leg-spinner Yannic Cariah – seemed to be the end of the game for Barbados Pride.

But then came Primus, a very familiar face to Red Force, having played for them multiple years in the past. He unleashed some breathtaking shots, the highlight a backfoot inside-out drive over cover for six that left commentators and spectators alike drooling. In the end, he lost too much of the strike over the last three overs and with 18 runs required in the last over bowled by the impressive Gabriel (4 for 43), he just failed to get Barbados over the line. That Primus gave Red Force a major scare was exemplified by the majority of them patting him on the back and trying to console him as he squatted in the middle, disappointed that his superb innings would not get Barbados Pride into the final 

(WG)