The Claypso charm came just in time from the gifted Darren Bravo and Sherwin Ganga who helped Trinidad & Tobago score a five-wicket win over Ruhunu (Sri Lanka) in the Champions League T-20 Pool-B qualifying round match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday.
Chasing 139, the top-order crumbled thanks to some reckless stroke-play and it was 81 for five at one stage as the slow bowlers Janaka Gunaratne and Sanath Jayasuriya operating on a relatively slow pitch checked the flow of runs. Captain Daren Ganga too flattered to deceive as he was trapped lbw by the wily Jayasuriya.
It was finally left to the flamboyance of Bravo (44 not out, 49 balls, 1x4, 1x6) and Sherwin Ganga (39 not out, 15 balls, 4x4, 2x6), who put on match-winning stand of 63 for the sixth wicket off just 32 balls to clinch the issue.
To his credit, Sherwin Ganga left behind more famous partner in essaying some wonderful big hits. Quite aptly, his huge six off the expensive Arosh Janoda was the winning shot.
Earlier, a listless batting display saw Ruhunu (Sri Lanka) bowled out for 138 in 20 overs. With the exception of 21-year-old Dinesh Chandimal (50, 48 balls, 2x4, 2x6) none of the batsmen stayed long enough to test the not-so intimidating bowling of Trinidad & Tobago.
T & T started with the a leg-spinner Samuel Badree and to the delight of captain Darren Ganga, he trapped the danger-man Jayasuriya lbw, playing a reverse-sweep.
Then, Chandimal gave enough hints as to why he is rated as the next big hope for Sri Lanka, displaying fine stroke-selection. It would have been a more miserable show by Ruhunu but for the fifth-wicket stand of 67 off 64 balls between Chandimal and Janaka Gunaratne.
The scores :
Ruhunu : S. Jayasuriya lbw b Badree 13 (11b, 2x4), M. Udawatte run out (Barath) 10 (7b, 1x4), D. Chandimal c & b Rampaul 50 (48b, 2x4, 2x6), M. Siriwardana (run out) 1 (1b), P. Gunaratne b Cooper 20 (29b, 2x4), M. Sampath (run out) 23 (13b, 3x4), K. Perera c Badree b Simmons 15 (6b, 1x4, 1x6), Athulathmudali (run out) 0 (2b), S. Karunayake (not out) 0 (1b), R. Perera b Rampaul 0, A. Janoda (run out) 0. Extras: (lb-3, w-3) 6; Total: (in 20 overs) 138.
Fall of wickets : 1-16, 2-25, 3-26, 4-93, 5-114, 6-132, 7-137, 8-138, 9-138, 10-138.
Trinidad & Tobago bowling : Badree 4-0-29-1, Rampaul 4-0-17-2, Narine 4-0-24-0, Cooper 4-0-18-1, Sherwin Ganga 2-0-17-0, Simmons 2-0-30-1.
Trinidad & Tobago : L. Simmons c Karunayake b Gunaratne 3 (7b), A. Barath st Chandimal b Gunaratne 0 (3b), D. Bravo (not out) 44 (49 b, 1x4, 1x6), D. Ganga lbw b Jayasuriya 17 (10b, 2x4, 1x6), D. Ramdin c Chandimal b C. Perera 18 (17b, 2x4), J. Mohammed c Udawatta b Janoda 17 (14b, 1x4, 1x6), S. Ganga (not out) 39 (15b, 4x4, 2x6). Extras: (w-4, nb-2) 6; Total: (for five wickets in 18.5 overs) 144.
Fall of wickets : 1-1, 2-6, 3-28, 4-56, 5-81.
Ruhunu bowling : Gunaratne 4-0-20-2, Jayasuriya 4-0-20-1, Sampath 3-0-31-0, R. Perera 3-0-22-1, Karunayake 2-0-16-0, Janoda 2.5-0-35-1.
