Bravo brothers power Red Steel victory over Warriors

Port of Spain (Trinidad), July 26 (IANS/CMC) Darren Bravo smashed a six off the final delivery of the game to lift Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel to a sensational four-wicket victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors, in a thrilling encounter of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) here.

Chasing 180 for victory Thursday night, Red Steel found themselves requiring nine runs from the final over sent down by Guyanese speedster Ronsford Beaton, reports CMC.

He managed to restrict Bravo and Jason Mohammed to just three runs off the first five deliveries, leaving Red Steel with six to get from the last ball.

Bravo then delivered in a big way, smashing a length ball from Beaton over mid-wicket for a huge six, to emphatically end the game.

It was the ideal end to a high octane contest at Queen's Park Oval, which swung this way and that.

The left-handed Bravo finished on 69 not out while his older brother and captain, Dwayne Bravo, slammed an equally belligerent 67 to bolster Red Steel's innings that floundered at one stage at 13 for three in the fourth over.

They lost Kevin O'Brien for four in the first over, bowled by left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie with the score on five and were in strife the following over when left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul trapped Ross Taylor lbw without scoring, with just one run added.

When opener Kennar Lewis holed out to Christopher Barnwell in the deep for three in the fourth over, Amazon Warriors were fancying their chances of running away with the game.

But the Bravo brothers arrived to transform the contest, in a superb 131-run, fourth wicket stand that put Red Steel within reach of victory.

Darren, stylish and elegant, struck five fours and five sixes off 49 balls while Dwayne, playing with gay abandon, counted six fours and three sixes off 47 deliveries.

They both hammered sixes off off-spinner Steven Jacobs's second over which cost 20 runs before Dwayne took matters into his own hands, ripping into Beaton with two sixes and a four in the right-armer's second over which leaked 21 runs.

He was also severe on Permaul and seamer Jimmy Neesham before skying a catch off the latter, to be caught at Barnwell at long-off in the 17thAover, with 36 still required for victory.

Nicholas Pooran did nothing to ruin his reputation with two sixes in a nine-ball 16 that kept the run rate up but when he was taken at mid-wicket by Lendl Simmons off Santokie in the penultimate over, Red Steel were still 13 runs adrift.

Darren Bravo, who paced his innings superbly throughout, then chose the right time to shine.

His performance overshadowed captain Denesh Ramdin's 84, which was the highlight of Amazon Warriors' 179 for four off their 20 overs.

Sent in, Amazon Warriors slipped to 27 for three in the sixth over before Ramdin and Neesham, who struck 33, rallied the innings with a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket.

The right-handed Ramdin faced 45 balls and counted six fours and six sixes while the left-handed Neesham struck a four and a six in a measured 32-ball knock.

Leg-spinner Samuel Badree was brilliant with three for 13 from his four overs.

Brief scores:

Amazon Warriors 179 for four off 20 overs (Denesh Ramdin 84, Jimmy Neesham 33, Lendl Simmons 24, Chris Barnwell 23; Samuel Badree 3/13)

Red Steel 180 for six off 20 overs (Darren Bravo 69 not out, Dwayne Bravo 67; Krishmar Santokie 3/36).

--IANS/CMC