1 week Ago By Roger Seepersad
Joshua Da Silva produced a blistering half-century while Jyd Goolie offered solid support with the bat as the Trinidad and Tobago Legions secured their second victory of the West Indies Breakout T20 League, beating the Guyana Rainforest Rangers by 23 runs at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Saturday night. The Legions skipper, Da Silva, plundered 68 off 26 balls with six sixes and three fours, while Goolie kept the tempo going with 49 off 30 as the hosts posted 173 for six off their 20 overs. It is the highest score of the tournament to date.
In reply, the Rainforest Rangers were restricted to 150 for nine, with all-rounder Joshua James grabbing three wickets for 35 runs and Mikkel Govia (two for 17) and Johann Layne (two for 25) picking up two wickets each. Sent in to bat for the second night in succession, the Legions started poorly again, losing Amir Jangoo off the third ball, driving and edging Jediah Blades to wicketkeeper Kemol Savory for four. Cephas Cooper joined his captain and struck three fours before also falling caught behind for 18 off 20 balls, as he attempted to drop his hands to a rising delivery from Blades in the fifth over.
Crystian Thurton, replacing Kamil Pooran in the XI, failed to get going, hitting spinner Ashmead Nedd high to Kevin Sinclair as the hosts slipped to 31 for three after the six Powerplay overs. The Legions were four down at the half-way mark after Navin Bidaisee (11) was caught behind off Nedd, but Da Silva and Goolie revived the innings, pushing the score to 110 for four after 15 overs. Goolie wasted little time settling in, smashing leg-spinner Riyad Latiff for consecutive sixes over deep midwicket to end the 12th over.
Da Silva then took on off-spinner Sinclair, launching two sixes over deep midwicket as the Legions dominated the middle overs. The pair then went hard in the final five, with Da Silva reaching his half-century in style with a six over backward point off pacer Ronaldo Alimohamed after facing just 32 balls. Da Silva struck two more sixes before being caught by Sinclair attempting another maximum.
Goolie continued the assault, smashing Quintin Sampson for a six and a four to take the Legions past 150 in the 18th over. He fell one run short of a half-century but had done enough to put the T&T franchise on top. In reply, the Rainforest Rangers lost a wicket in the first over, with McKenny Clarke having Adrian Sukhwa caught behind by Jangoo for one.
Kevlon Anderson got the innings moving with a pair of fours off pacer Layne before hitting Damion Joachim for a four and a six to push the score to 45 for one after five overs. The Rangers finished the Powerplay well-placed on 50 for one. But James then struck twice in three overs after the Powerplay, sending back Anderson (27) and Clarke (23) as the visitors reached 79 for three at the half-way stage.
Govia then had the dangerous Sinclair well caught by James just inside the ropes at deep midwicket for 19, with the score on 91 for four. The off-spinner also bowled Alimohamed for five, leaving the Rainforest Rangers needing 61 runs off 24 balls with five wickets in hand. The run out of Savory for 33 further set them back, with 48 still needed off 12 balls.
But Sampson then gave the Rangers some hope, smacking the first two deliveries of the penultimate over from James for consecutive sixes. However, he was caught at long-on by Govia for 19, leaving 36 needed off eight balls. Nial Smith ended the over with a six to keep slim hopes alive, but he was caught by Goolie early in the final over, all but sealing the win for the Legions.
Summarised scores: T&T Legions 173-7, 20 overs (Joshua Da Silva 68, Jyd Goolie 49; Jediah Blades 2/18, Ashmead Nedd 2/25) vs Guyana Rainforest Rangers 150-9, 20 overs (Kemol Savory 33, Kevlon Anderson 27, Rivaldo Clarke 23; Joshua James 3/35, Mikkel Govia 2/17, Johann Layne 2/25) – T&T Legions won by 23 runs..
