T&T Triumphs in NY Caribbean Cup

Team Trinidad & Tobago snatched the inaugural Ed Ahmad New York Caribbean Cricket Cup from Team Windward Islands in a most decisive manner last Saturday at Idlewild Park in Queens.

In a game played before a sizable crowd and in sunny weather, Team Windwards won the toss and invited Trinidad & Tobago to bat. Team Trinidad & Tobago posted 253 for 7 wickets off of 45 overs and then bowled out the Windwards for 199 off of 38.1 overs.

Trinidad was led by Jerry Jumadeen and the consistent hot bat of Dennis Rampersaud, who scored 59 and 52 respectively. Opener Kerwin John included four 4s in his score of 28. With the Windwards opening pacers Casper Davis and McNeil Morgan having some trouble maintaining an earlier decent line and length, Mr. Extras contributed 20 wides in the 49 extras of the TnT score.

The TnT wickets fell at: 59; 195; 203; 222; 227; 229 and 246. Bowling for Windwards: Leroy Peters introduced in the 22nd over had 9-0-40-3, while Kiron Mitchell debuting in the 32nd over had figures of 7-0-34-3. Casper Davis captured the only other wicket to fall, at a cost of 38 runs off his seven overs.

In response, the Windward Islands got off to a shaky start, losing their first three wickets for 28 runs. It was Ricky Toussaint and the left-arm medium pacer Mickey Ramdeo making the early break through for TnT.

The Windwards showed some glimmer of making a go at the TnT tally with a fourth wicket-stand of 94, led by a top-score of 63 by David Williams. At the other end the imposing figure of Tibbles Moore was equally punishing, pummeling his way to 60, including two 4s and five 6s.

The Windwards' big bats of the Sylvester brothers ? Kester and Angelo, as well as Captain Gregory Anthony, never got out of the starting blocks. The trio recorded 8, 2, and 6 respectively. Kevin George (14) and Kiron Mitchell (10) were the only other Windwards batsmen to record double figures, as Windwards collapsed all out for 199 off of 38.1 overs.

The Windwards wickets fell at: 15; 22; 50; 144; 162; 182; 182; 189; 192 and 199. Bowling for Trinidad & Tobago: David Williams 7.1-0-32-3, David Mohammed 7-0-37-3 and Mickey Ramdeo 7-2-25-2 along with Rickey Toussaint and Glen Lorrick one wicket apiece.

TnT's Dennis Rampersaud was adjudged the tournament MVP. Tournament sponsor Ed Ahmad of Ahmad Group of Companies was on hand to present checks in the amounts of US$5,000.00 and US$2,500.00 to the champions and runner-up respectively.