Trinidad & Tobago Claim Stanford Cash Prize
Caribbean side beat Middlesex in the Champions Cup
Trinidad & Tobago have become the first big winners of the Stanford Super Series after beating Middlesex to win the Champions Cup and a cheque for $280,000.
Although it is a far cry from the $20 million on offer when England take on the Stanford Superstars on Saturday, the prize still represents a significant financial windfall for the Caribbean side that beat their English opponents by five wickets.
TENSION
Nerves were certainly on show at the Stanford Cricket Ground with both sides failing to take catches that they perhaps would have if the dollar sign had not been lighting up their eyes.
The wicket in Antigua has been up for much discussion, and indeed criticism, going into the game, none more so than from the Middlesex Captain Shaun Udal.
Although it looks lavish on the television screen, the former England spinner has complained that the centre piece is in fact corrugated, with a separate crease running through the middle. The 39-year old also stated his concerns that the outfield was slowing the ball instead of letting it race to the boundary.
Udal’s worries were certainly highlighted in his side’s defeat on Monday with the ball only crossing the rope on 15 occasions throughout the match – a pitiful amount for a game which is supposed to incite attack and excitement.
SLOW FIELD SLOW PLAY
On the sluggish pitch, Middlesex won the toss and chose to bat, and as it was with the playing surface the English county began in the same nature only racking up 40 runs from half of their allotted overs for the loss of four wickets.
However, Eoin Morgan’s 30 and a quick fire 39 from Neil Dexter propelled Middlesex’s total to 117-8, with 37 runs coming from the final three overs.
Although the spinners were expected to do the damage, it was seamer Ravi Rampaul who made the important early breakthrough, taking the cheap wickets of controversial loan signing Neil Carter and number three batsman Ed Joyce with only 16 runs on the board.
Sherwin Ganga, brother of Captain Darren, and Navin Stewart both grabbed a brace of wickets for Trinidad & Tobago, but Rampaul was the real hero, eventually finishing with figures of 4-25.
ENGLISH FIGHTBACK
Middlesex knew they had to attack their opponents to keep them below the relatively low total of 118 needed to win and could not have asked for much of a better start as Samuel Badree took William Perkins’ wicket with only the third ball of the match.
Lendl Simmons followed soon after and Trinidad and Tobago had lost both of their opening batsmen for just one run.
The Ganga brothers both came and went and suddenly Middlesex had the upper hand with the score on 49-4.
MISSED CHANCE
Bravo, younger brother of West Indies star Dwayne, was dropped on six by Joyce at long-on when the Caribbean men needed 45 from 30 balls.
It proved costly, as Bravo went on to make 27 not out and provide excellent company for partner Danesh Ramdin who hit 41 from 28 balls to swing the match back into Trinidad & Tobago’s hands.
And although Ramdin was stumped in the penultimate over it proved too little too late for Middlesex, as Bravo smashed a six off the final ball to secure a big payday for his side.
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