Sherwin Ganga Stars as J'ca Stumble

Thu, Oct 21, '04

Despite a batting slump in the first half of their innings, Trinidad & Tobago pulled off what many might consider an upset victory over Jamaica at the Bourda cricket ground today.

With many players out due to injury, Daren Ganga led an inexperienced team with aplomb. The first thing he did correctly was to win the toss, but after Chris Gayle and Xavier Marshall posted a century partnership for the first wicket, he must have been questioning the decision to field first on a dry Bourda pitch.

The West Indies opener Gayle, who has been nursing a cough throughout the tournament, found good form today and would therefore have felt extremely unlucky to be involved in a run out situation with right handed Marshall. For some inexplicable reason, Marshall, who dominated the Jamaican practice matches leading up to the team's selection, stood firmly in his crease when Gayle called him through for a gettable single on the last ball of the 23rd over and the two ended up at the non-striker's end. Gayle was run out for 48 with the score on 100.

Wavell Hinds was the next batsman in and he and Marshall took the score to 140 for 2 when Hinds was caught by Ricardo Powell at backward point off Imran Jan for 17 in the 32nd over. In the previous over, Hinds looked set to post a big total when he hit off spinner Rodney Sooklal for a four, then a huge six wide of long on, and a four forward of square.

Marlon Samuels came in and was particularly severe on the Jamaican Ricardo Powell who now represents Trinidad & Tobago. In the 35th over he hit Powell for a four and a six, the latter taking the ball over the Rohan Kanhai Stand into Regent Street.

Captain Ganga gave the ball to younger brother Sherwin, who bowls both medium pace and off spin. Today, it was the off spin that reaped rewards for him when he had Samuels caught by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for 14.

Danza Hyatt who was making his debut, replacing another debutant Nikita Miller who is nursing a shoulder injury to his bowling arm, did not last long and was another of Sherwin Ganga's victims. When Hyatt departed for 5, young Marshall was motoring along on 84 and was joined by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr, ahead of Tamar Lambert.

The usually aggressive Baugh could not find the gaps and lasted just three overs for his three runs. Recent Shell Academy graduate Richard Kelly ran from the mid-wicket boundary to take a fine catch off Sooklal that left Jamaica tottering somewhat on 186 for 5.

From 190 for 5 at the end of the 42nd over, the Jamaica innings collapsed in the 47th over. They could only manage 206 runs after indecisive running resulted in captain Gareth Breese and David Bernard Jr both being run out. Marshall's wicket had earlier fallen when he was 12 runs short of what would have been his first century at this level.

With Jamaica short of runs due to tight bowling and impressive ground fielding by the Trinidadians, they needed to stem the flow of runs from the word 'go'. Perhaps Daren Powell's opening over was an indication of what was to come when he gave away three extras. He redeemed himself in the 3rd over when he had Imran Jan caught by Tamar Lambert for 1.

Trinidad & Tobago went to lunch at the end of the 4th over at 17 for 1 with the Ganga brothers at the crease. The first two overs on resumption netted 21 runs from the pair, and Hinds, replacing Powell, could do nothing to contain the batsmen. The captain flicked a six off Hinds which went to the backward square leg boundary and further put salt in the wounds of the Jamaicans.

Chris Gayle replaced fastbowler Evon McInnis from the other end and bowled a maiden over to keep the score in check. It was the bowling of Marlon Samuels however, which gave Jamaica hope for a much needed victory.

Samuels took wickets in each of the first four overs he bowled. He accounted for Ricardo Powell for 1 ? Breese taking a brilliant diving catch at mid wicket ? Sherwin Ganga for 25 and Jonathan Augustus for a duck. It seemed that Jamaica were well placed for victory at 65 for 5, but the lower order Trinidad & Tobago batsmen had other ideas.

From 84 for 6, Gregory Mahabir and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin took the score to 127 for 7 before Ramdin, on 21, was adjudged lbw by umpire Weekes. The hard hitting Richard Kelly joined Mahabir and the two batted sensibly to bring the asking rate to 52 runs from 48 balls at the end of the 42nd over. Kelly was fearless, and contributed much to the nine runs coming off the 35th over bowled by McInnis. Mahabir was the one to eventually go, caught by Gareth Breese off Gayle for a steady, responsible 46 in the 43rd over.

Starting the 46th over bowled by Tamar Lambert, Trinidad & Tobago required 40 runs off 30 balls. It was still Jamaica's match to win at that point. The 46th and 47th overs swung the pendulum towards Trinidad & Tobago, Lambert going for 12 and Breese for 14 respectively. The 50th over was bowled by Chris Gayle with the opposition needing just two runs off it. Victory came from the first ball with a four and the last pair of Kelly and Reyad Emrit were jubilant in their celebration knowing they had probably come into this match as underdogs.

An elated Daren Ganga, while admitting that the top order played some indisciplined shots, himself included, said "I think that's what great teams do. They come back from periods of despair and I thought we did that well. When we fielded I thought that we fielded brilliantly. All the guys contributed." At 89 for 6, he confessed to being "a little bit cautious" but knew that Ramdin had a calm head on his shoulders, and that if Kelly was there at the end, they would have been victorious.

On the win with the absence of so many experienced players, the Trinidad & Tobago captain said "in any team, once you have committed players who are willing to give their all, I think that you don't have any problems at all. This bunch of guys, they are 100% committed to T&T cricket and 100% committed to doing well personally and that's what I love about them. They're young, they're enthusiastic and it's a pleasure playing with these guys."

Man-of-the-Match for his figures of 10-0-35-3 and 25 runs was Sherwin Ganga. "I was pleased with my performance. It was a team effort. I just tried to bowl the line. I knew it was a flat wicket, not much turn in it and I just wanted to put the ball in the spot.

Jamaica now goes back to the drawing board to see if they can pull something special out of the hat on Friday when they face top of the table Barbados at Uitvlugt in a must-win match.

* CaribbeanCricket.com correspondent Michelle McDonald, who is vacationing in Guyana, thanks the broadcast commentators who assisted with distinguishing an on-drive from an off-drive, and pointing out fielding positions like long off and mid-wicket...something she claims she hasn't quite got the hang of just yet!