Trinidad & Tobago Wins Stanford 20/20 1 Million USD

COOLIDGE, Antigua, February 25, 2008 -

Trinidad & Tobago, led by William Perkins' aggressive half century and Dave Mohammed four-wicket haul, trashed Jamaica by nine-wicket in a one-sided Stanford 20/20 final at the Stanford Cricket ground on Sunday night.

Replying to Jamaica's mere 91 all out in 16.4 overs, Trinidad & Tobago raced to 94 for 1 in 9.2 overs and secured the Stanford US$1m jackpot, which lost to Guyana in 2006. Jamaica pocketed US$500,000.

Requiring a mere 4.55 runs per over, Trinidad & Tobago lost Denesh Ramdin early when he edged Jerome Taylor (1-19) for wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh to take an easy catch at 14 for one.

However, that bought to the crease the dangerous combination of Perkins and Lendl Simmons, who put on an unbroken 74 runs for the second wicket. They kept the run rate above 10 runs throughout, but it was Perkins who was dictated the pace. He was the more aggressive, especially against pacer Daren Powell and spinner Marlon Samuels.

Perkins, who brought up his half century with a single of Samuels to mid-on, ended unbeaten on 50, which came off just 33 balls and laced with six fours and a six, while Simmons, who hit Samuels over long-on for a six to win, got 26 with four fours and a six.

Earlier, in one of the most disgraceful batting display this season, Jamaica, which boost the strongest batting line-up in regional cricket, were totally clueless against Trinidad & Tobago bowlers, especially left-arm Mohammed.

Like the semi-final against Guyana, again, Jamaica got off to a bad start when Shawn Findlay edged the second ball of the match, bowled by pacer Rayad Emrit to wicketkeeper Ramdin.

Samuels was again forced to pull Jamaica out of trouble, but after added 42 for the second wicket with opener Xavier Marshall, who replaced Chris Gayle at the top, things again slipped.

Marshall's innings of 20, which included a six and a four, was ended when he dragged on a delivery from spinner Samuel Badree onto his middle stump while Samuels, who pulled Dwayne Bravo's second delivery in the air to the mid-wicket boundary, was caught two deliveries after by Simmons at 48 for three. He made 27, which included four fours.

It got worse for Jamaica when the out-of-form Gayle (six) was bowled by Dave Mohammed, who also picked removed in-form batsman Danza Hyatt (four), stumped by Ramdin.

After Hyatt's dismissal at 63 for 5, Jamaica's struggle continued and in the 16th over, Carlton Baugh, who after hit Mohammed over long-on for six; became the first of three wickets in the over. Bernard was run out for one and Taylor bowled for zero.

Opening pacer Emrit returned to pick up the wickets of Hinds, caught by Bravo on the long-on boundary and Nikita Miller, bowled the very next ball for one to end Jamaica's misery.

Mohammed ended with 4-20 and was named Man-of-the-Match while Emrit supported with 3-18.

Dwayne Bravo collected the Play-of-the-Day US$25,000 to run out Bernard. (stanford2020.com)