A breathtaking late burst from leg-spinner Yannic Cariah powered the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a resounding 75-run triumph over the Jamaica Scorpions in their CG United Super50 Cup second-round encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Friday night.
The result lifted the hosts to two wins from as many matches and underscored their growing tournament authority.
Red Force set the platform with measured, mature batting
Asked to bat first, the Red Force innings demanded resilience rather than fireworks. Early trouble saw Kjorn Ottley and captain Joshua Da Silva removed cheaply, slumping the home side to 44 for two.
But debutant Cephas Cooper steadied nerves and momentum, crafting a composed 72 from 78 balls. He collected eight fours, brought up his maiden List A half-century with a confidently swept boundary, and anchored the recovery before departing at 106 for three.
Veteran Jason Mohammed then assumed control, expertly alternating caution with clean striking. His 87 off 103 deliveries featured five sixes, including back-to-back blows off Peat Salmon, and marked his 24th List A fifty. Useful lower-order contributions from Navin Bidaisee (20) and Joshua James (22) nudged the Red Force to 256 for eight, a total noticeably shy of the 300-plus scores seen earlier in the week but ultimately more than sufficient.
Scorpions’ chase falters despite brief resistance
Jamaica’s reply never gathered lasting traction. While captain Brad Barnes waged a determined fight, wickets fell regularly, providing the Red Force bowling unit consistent control. Jyd Goolie chipped in with an incisive spell of three for 15, tightening the squeeze and exposing the lower order.
When Barnes stood firm at 41 and the Scorpions reached 166 for six in the 39th over, the contest still held faint competitive hope, until Cariah returned.
Cariah’s spell of genius turns the lights out
Reintroduced into the attack, Cariah produced a devastating three-ball sequence that shattered Jamaica’s resistance and electrified the Tarouba crowd. First, he had Abhijai Mansingh smartly taken by Goolie. Next delivery, a ripping googly crashed into Jeavor Royal’s middle stump. Then came the hat-trick ball, another googly trapping Marquino Mindley on the back foot.
For a moment, Cariah’s celebrations paused as officials checked his front foot. Replays confirmed it had landed just millimetres behind the line, unleashing relief and jubilation in equal measure.
The triple strike reduced the Scorpions to 166 for nine, and Cariah soon completed the formalities by removing Barnes to end the innings at 181 in 39.4 overs. His final return, four for 24 from 4.4 overs, earned him Player-of-the-Match honors and secured one of the tournament’s standout spells.
Tournament marches on
Both sides now turn their attention to Sunday’s fixtures. The Red Force remain at Tarouba to meet the Guyana Harpy Eagles at 2:00 p.m., while the Scorpions travel to the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground at UWI St. Augustine for a 9:00 a.m. clash with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. At the Queen’s Park Oval, leaders Barbados Pride face the Windward Islands Volcanoes, also beginning at 9:00 a.m.
