Kyle Mayers produced a smashing performance but Trinidad and Tobago underlined their all-round depth with a tense, three-wicket win over the Barbados Cricket Association’s President’s XI with four balls to spare in the opening Twenty20 practice match at Kensington Oval Wednesday night.
Left-hander Mayers, just turned 20, advertised his immense power in blasting five sixes – one of which shattered a huge pane four floors up in the Cozier, Coppin and Short Media Centre. His topscore of 48 off 33 balls anchored the locals to 147 for five off 20 overs.
Kevin Stoute contributed a level-headed, unbeaten 40 off 42 deliveries and shared a fine fourth-wicket stand of 74 off 55 balls with Mayers.
The Bajan bowlers began brightly but the Red Force – preparing for another shot at the prestigious Champions League in October – carry supreme confidence and their lower order all-rounders rallied to steer them home.
William Perkins’ 34 off 24 balls revved up the early overs but Mayers claimed two for 19 to stall the Trinis’ progress.
Jason Mohammed rebuilt with a run-a-ball topscore of 42 before Sherwin Ganga (21 off 14), Yannick Ottley (20 not out off eight) and Navin Stewart (17 off eight) provided the acceleration in the closing overs to put their side 1-0 up in the three-match series.
The Bajans, after winning the toss, were quickly on the back foot as strapping West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel removed Martin Nurse and captain Kirk Edwards for ducks in the third over at 5-2.
Nurse’s hurried pull was deflected to short fine leg, while Edwards was lbw on the back foot, undone by the pitch which tended to keep low at times.
Rashidi Boucher, content to play out a first over maiden from left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley, eventually counter-attacked strongly to shift the momentum. He roughed up Gabriel in his third over and followed with some cracking strokes off Ottley. But after stroking four fours and a six in 29 off 21 balls, he miscued the final ball of the Powerplay from Ottley to cover at 36-3.
Mayers, recently back from West Indies Under-19 duty in the Youth World Cup in Australia, provided the muscle and Stoute, the touch, in an innings-defining partnership.
Mayers’ dismissal, caught at long-on, cost the Bajans a grandstand finish as Stoute and the all-rounders couldn’t match his big-hitting.
The visitors’ chase had a similar start, with off-spinner Shane Ramsay claiming Adrian Barath for a first ball duck, edging to slip via wicket-keeper Shai Hope’s pad, and Jason Holder claiming Justin Guillen to a Mayers slip catch.
Perkins counter-attacked as Boucher had done but Mayers induced an edge to halt his threat at 45-3 in the seventh over. Mayers also removed former skipper Daren Ganga and Trinidad and Tobago were 75-4 in the 13th over.
Mohammed guided the lower order, and they responded well.