RECORD VICTORY
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force demolished Guyana Jaguars by 152 runs to win the 2021 GC Insurance Super50 Cup to claim a record-extending 13th 50-over title on Saturday night at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Guyana captain, Leon Johnson won the toss and sent in the Red Force to bat (in the day night encounter), a decision he would regret as opener, Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis put on an opening stand of 121.
Simmons struck a magnificent 146 and would add another 100 runs for the second wicket with Darren Bravo (47) and 67 with Nicholas Pooran (39) for the third wicket.
The right-hander, who notched a century against the Windward Islands earlier in the tournament, hit 15 fours and seven sixes in a 145-ball innings before he was the fourth man out.
Simmons registered the highest score of this year’s tournament, as well as the highest score by a Trinidadian in the 46 years of the event-surpassing the 134 made by Denesh Ramdin in 2013.
It was also the second century of this year’s tournament and lifted the Red Force to their second highest score of all time and the fifth highest total in the Super50 history.
Skipper Kieron Pollard (23) and former captain Denesh Ramdin (27) further demoralized the Guyana Jaguar bowlers with a 48-run partnership in only 28 balls as the Red Force put up an imposing 362/5.
Red Force fast bowlers Anderson Phillip, Raving Rampaul and Jayden Seales, made early inroads into the Guyana top-order.
Rampaul struck a heavy blow in the 6th over, when he got semi-final centurion Shimron Hetmyer, caught behind for 20 off 12 balls.
The dismissal triggered a big collapse, as Guyana Jaguars would lose five wickets for only 15 runs in the space of 27 balls.
With 40 overs to go, the Jaguars were already staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat, and the dream of winning their first 50-over title since 2005 was dashed.
Raymond Reifer put on 71 for the night wicket with Gudakesh Motie (28) and then, with just three run short of his maiden century, watched helplessly as Seales bowled Nial Smith for a duck to clinch victory for the Red Force.
T&T played unbeaten in the tournament, winning all five of their preliminary rounds matches, the semi-final and the final.
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