Red Force maintain unbeaten run with win over Windies B

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force used a strong batting performance to help propel them to their fourth successive win of the Regional Super50, courtesy of a 70-run victory over West Indies B at the Queen’s Park Oval here Thursday.
The home side was boosted by half-centuries from Jason Mohammed, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin on their way to posting a competitive total of 318 for nine from their 50 overs.
Alzarri Joseph then hit an unbeaten half-century in a losing cause as the Windies put up a fighting effort on their way to folding for 248 in 43.2 overs.
The Red Force was given a solid foundation by two separate century partnerships, which helped to set the launching pad for their eventual total.
Following the early run-out of Kyle Hope for one with the score on 17, Simmons and Mohammed joined forces to add 105 runs in 19 overs.
Simmons, the more dominant in the partnership, eventually was dismissed for 75 from 75 balls, inclusive of 13 boundaries.
That brought captain Denesh Ramdin to the crease and he and Mohammed continued in the same vein in a third-wicket partnership of 102.
However, 17 runs short of a well-deserved century, Mohammed would lose his wicket to Bryan Charles to leave the score 224 for three. His knock of 83 came off 90 balls and he struck six fours and four sixes.
Ramdin would be the next to go for 55, the second of Charles’ three wickets, with the Red Force still firmly in control at 242-4 in the 42nd over.
The Red Force would have been hoping for a bigger total, as despite Kieron Pollard’s cameo of 30 off 12 balls, they were only able to muster 33 runs from the final five overs.
Despite Keagan Simmons’ knock of 60 and a stubborn, unbeaten 51 from Joseph, the Windies were unable to dig themselves out of an early hole to mount a legitimate challenge.
After an opening stand of 38 between Kimani Melius and Simmons, the Windies found themselves in trouble at 118 for five.
Leonardo Julien, who made 20 and Odean Smith who scored 49, halted the slide of wickets during a 64-run sixth-wicket partnership to help give the Windies an outside chance of an improbable victory.
That hope was lost once Smith was dismissed, although Joseph put up resistance, scoring 51 from 36 balls.
Narine was the best Red Force bowler snaring 3-38, with Dwayne Bravo and Ravindarath Rampaul each claiming two wickets.