The Jamaica blind cricket team maintained their dominance in the sport by clinching the Philip Herrelle T/20 Trophy with a three-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago in a nail-biting finish at the 3Ws Oval on Sunday.
During the week, Jamaica repeated as champions of the league, but at one stage had looked in danger of finally losing a tournament when Trinidad and Tobago rattled up 133 for five. Jamaica fielded smartly, running out four batsmen, including the dangerous Ulric Andrews for ten. Rodney Ramrattan held the innings together with an unbeaten 54.
Jamaica also suffered with their running between the wickets as four of their batsmen were run out – Ramrattan responsible for two of them. With Jamaica at 67 for five, the Trinidadians looked capable of finally getting the upper hand.
However, wicketkeeper Dinol Shim scored a defiant 45 in the period when the lights were switched on for the day/night battle. The margin of victory did not suggest the tense finish. Both sets of supporters nervously waited on the boundary as three runs were needed off the final two balls.
When Shim scored those runs with a ball to spare, the Jamaicans erupted in unbridled joy.
Barbados’ Ricardo Manning was voted the Player For The Series.
The interest will now switch to the Test series between the West Indies and Australia, with the opening match taking place at Hoyte’s Village at 9:30 this morning in a 40-over encounter.Â
Tomorrow the two sides will meet at Queen’s Park, and on Thursday they will clash at Kensington.
On Friday and Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m., there will be two night matches at Hoyte’s Village and Rices, respectively.
