On a rain-interrupted first day at Trent Bridge, Middlesex raced to 210 for 3 from 52 overs against Nottinghamshire with fifties from Owais Shah and Nick Compton. After reaching 31, having oozed five boundaries, Ed Smith was caught behind off the bowling of Mark Ealham. Ben Hutton didn’t last much longer, either, when Paul Franks trapped him for 22. Shah (66) and Compton (54*) were defiant, however, putting on 103 for the third wicket before Shah became Franks’ second wicket of the day. The heavens opened, though, calling an end to the day’s proceedings.At Stockton, Durham bowled Kent out for 179 and then reached 76 for 2 at the close. A full report is available by clicking here.

Division One

Points tableDay 4
Lancashire narrowly avoided pulling off one of the more remarkable victories this season as Kent limped over the line after making heavy work of chasing down 215 at Canterbury. Seemingly on auto-pilot at 122 for 1, with Martin van Jaarsveld and David Fulton playing confidently, a sudden rush of wickets had Lancashire supporters, and players, scenting an unlikely victory. Though Dominic Cork was the man who removed van Jaarsveld it was Gary Keedy, the left-arm spinner, who proved the main threat snaffling four quick wickets to send Kent tumbling from 122 for 1 to 159 for 6. Amjad Khan (19) and Min Patel (16) showed great character after tea, to edge Kent over the line by just two wickets and earn them 22 points.Day 3
A magnificent matchwinning 6 for 67 from Adil Rashid, the 18-year-old legspinner from Leeds UCCE, demolished Warwickshire by an innings and 96 runs at Scarborough as Yorkshire wrapped up their second win on the bounce. Warwickshire, so hapless in the field yesterday, were similarly clueless with the bat as Rashid, who was making his debut, ran through their top order while Tim Bresnan (3 for 40) mopped up the tail. Yorkshire took 22 points and Warwickshire just 3.Silly cricket, in the style of hit-out-and-declare bowling, reached Southgate as Murray Goodwin clobbered 156 from just 50 balls, launching 11 sixes and 19 fours, to give Sussex a 420-run lead over Middlesex. The hosts were bundled out for 466 before Richard Montgomerie and Carl Hopkinson put on a solid 132 for the first wicket. Enter Goodwin, at No. 4, who proceeded to smash the part-time bowling all over North London in 45 minutes of carnage; his hundred came from a mere 31 balls with 13 fours and seven sixes as he tucked into the likes of Nick Compton, Ed Joyce – and even the wicketkeeper, David Nash. Indeed Compton was taken for 94 from just six overs. He finally fell attempting to hit Nash for another boundary and was stumped, ironically, by the stand-in wicketkeeper Eion Morgan. Sussex declared at the close and Middlesex will need 421 on the final day.

Division Two

Points TableDay 2
Hamish Marshall struck a rather lonely hundred for Gloucestershire on the second day against Worcestershire at New Road, as his side were dismissed for 276 – earning them a first-innings lead of just five. It was Zaheer Khan, the former Indian left-armer, who did most of the damage with 5 for 74. However, Worcestershire wobbled in their second innings to 26 for 4 – all four wickets to Jon Lewis, inevitably – before Ben Smith (73 not out) steadied the ship to give the home side an all-too-slender lead of 164 with one wicket remaining.Day 3
The Essex middle-order mainstays, Ronnie Irani and Grant Flower, both struck impressive hundreds as Essex crept up on Glamorgan‘s imposing first-innings total of 474 on the third day at Chelmsford. Under a blazing hot sun, on a pitch offering little assistance to any of the bowlers, Irani and Flower put on 181 for the fifth wicket before Robert Croft, the Glamorgan captain, made the breakthrough. One didn’t bring two, however; James Foster came in and played attractively for his 64, crunching 10 fours in his 91-ball innings as Essex went to stumps on 452 for 9.It is not a match for bowlers at Guildford. After Justin Langer’s marathon 342 in Somerset’s 688 for 8 declared, today Mark Ramprakash (167) and Rikki Clarke (165 not out) belted the opposition as Surrey reached 632 for 6 on the third day. While Ramprakash was at his classical best, Clarke was more the aggressor, smashing 22 fours and clearing the boundary three times. However it was Azhar Mahmood who really injected spice into Surrey’s innings with a boundary-filled 98 from just 95 balls.A super knock of 90 from Jeremy Snape allied with vital contributions from David Masters and Stuart Broad, took Leicestershire to an impressive 515 and a useful 129-run lead over Derbyshire on the third day at Grace Road. Masters fell shortly after making his fifty but Broad, who was once an opening batsman in his teenage years before a sudden growth spurt tempted him to become a fast bowler, smacked nine fours in his unbeaten 65 to take Leicestershire past 500. It was Broad’s second first-class fifty. Derbyshire then made a confident reply in their second innings, knocking off the deficit without fuss. Only quick runs tomorrow morning, however, and a sporting declaration can save this match from petering out into a draw.

ScorecardLancashire kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation in the Pro40 with an eight-wicket win against Warwickshire at Old Trafford. Nathan Astle and Mark Chilton carried Lancashire to their first victory of the campaign with an unbroken third wicket stand of 122.The Lancashire bowlers had started in fine style and the Warwickshire top order could barely find the boundary for the first half of their innings. Dominic Cork and Kyle Hogg were impressive with the ball, but for once the spinners struggled to keep the run rate down.Murali Kartik and Simon Marshall went for 99 in 15 overs as Nick Knight and Jim Troughton slowly increased the tempo before Tim Ambrose and Alex Loudon provided some late impetus.Lancashire – as usual – started the other way round as Mal Loye was typically aggressive inside the fielding restrictions. He made 46 off 35 balls before being caught behind off Neil Carter, who also claimed Dominic Cork after he was sent up the order to play his shots. However, the rapid start had brought the required rate down meaning Astle and Chilton could just tick the runs off.Neither player has been full of runs in recent weeks but worked the ball around with consummate ease as Lancashire eased home with eight balls to spare.

Matthew Hoggard, the England fast bowler, has undergone an MRI scan which has revealed no significant damage to the side strain which forced him out of Yorkshire’s Championship match against Nottinghamshire on Tuesday.In a statement issued by the ECB this afternoon, it was confirmed he has sustained a minor abdominal strain and, consequently, will be rested from Yorkshire’s remaining fixtures this season. Scott McAllister, the Yorkshire physio, maintained that resting Hoggard was purely a precautionary measure.Of England’s bowling attack for the Ashes squad, which was announced this week, only Sajid Mahmood and Monty Panesar are currently fit. Despite injuries to a number of key players, David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, allayed fears this week that England were revisiting history by sending an injured squad to Australia.He is not viewed as a serious concern for the Ashes, which gets underway on November 23 at Brisbane.

Scorecard

The sight of James Anderson bowling was overshadowed on the second day at The Rose Bowl by Dominic Cork’s four wickets and events at Trent Bridge. For all Lancashire’s incision with the ball and control of this match, their title hopes are fast slipping away with Sussex on the verge of a comprehensive win, which would crown them champions.All Lancashire could do, though, was collect all available points from this match and on that front the day was a complete success. Their first ambition was to notch as many batting points as they could muster and they fought hard to in reach 400.Tom Smith was particularly impressive at No. 9 and, together with Luke Sutton, put on 88 for the ninth wicket to keep Lancashire’s hopes alive. Their bowlers then took over during the afternoon, removing both openers cheaply; only John Crawley – a cut above his team-mates in this game, and playing against his former team – stood in their way with a fighting fifty at the end of a prolific season.The performance of Anderson was pleasing. Tall at the crease and straight in his delivery stride, and playing his first Championship match since the debilitating stress fracture of his back, he was limited to short three and four-over spells at the bequest of the ECB (a maximum of 12 were permitted).However, it was the evergreen Cork who proved more incisive, cutting through Hampshire’s brittle line-up before Smith finished things off with three quick wickets. Last week it was Cork with the bat who kept Lancashire in with a shout of the title through his 154 against Durham; now it was the ball that did the work.He produced a hostile spell after tea, having Sean Ervine caught at point and quickly bouncing out Nic Pothas. Greg Lamb was trapped in front but Cork had Nathan Astle’s reflexes at first slip to thank for Crawley’s wicket. The batsman tried to guide the ball over the slips, but Astle stuck up his right hand and plucked the ball out of the air. Inevitably Warne bullied his way to a rapid 30 but he was soon back out on the field when Chilton decided against the follow-on.His decision not to ask Hampshire to bat again may appear perplexing with Lancashire having to win, but with the prospect of batting last against Warne he opted to build a commanding lead. Chilton won’t be part of that plan after falling late in the day and, even though his team are well placed, events at Trent Bridge are set to make the result here incidental.

Ricky Ponting insists Damien Martyn is under no pressure to hold the Test spot he won back in South Africa for the Ashes. Martyn was dropped after England won the 2005 series, but he made a strong point against them with a smooth 78 that ended any chance of another defeat in the Champions Trophy game on Saturday”In my eyes he hasn’t been under any pressure whatsoever, I see him as a vital player in our team,” Ponting said of his close friend in . “Coming in at No. 4 is a difficult position to bat, you need to be a certain sort of player to fit in there and we all saw how good a player Damien is, and how he can win you games.”Australia’s top order is jammed with Ashes contenders, but Martyn’s place has not been as contentious as the No. 6 spot, which is being fought for by Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson. Martyn returned from the Test wilderness in March for the series against South Africa, showing his class with a match-winning 101 in the final Test, and his experience of high-pressure situations is one of the reasons behind Ponting’s view. In Martyn’s past eight one-day games he has produced three half-centuries, including 52 in the final of the Malaysian tri-series last month.Ponting also said Mitchell Johnson’s “name will come up” when the selectors talk about Australia’s attack for the first Test at Brisbane on November 23. Johnson stunned Kevin Pietersen with a short ball before dismissing him on Saturday and collected 3 for 40. “I would imagine that he’s going to be spoken about a lot coming into the first Test because he’s come along as quickly as he has and he’s fitting into international cricket really well,” he said in . “Mitchell has done everything right, he’s performing on the big stage and getting good players out.”If you look at the players he’s got out in the games he’s played, he got Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in Malaysia and he knocked over Pietersen here in India. They are three of the better players going around.”Johnson missed Australia’s opening game against West Indies but was called up at Jaipur when Australia preferred him to Brad Hogg. “The first few games he played he was a little bit nervous and a bit tight … he’s starting to get a lot of that out of his system now,” Ponting said. “He’s now confident and relaxed playing at this level. He’s improving every game and doing everything that he possibly can to keep his name in front of the selectors.”

The fast bowler Tim Macdonald will make his debut for Western Australia in their Pura Cup match against New South Wales at the SCG starting on Friday. Macdonald has been called into the 12-man squad to replace Brett Dorey after concerns Dorey’s minor knee complaint could affect his ability to play the full four days.Macdonald, 26, is a right-arm swing bowler in his first year in the Warriors’ squad. He claimed 12 for 88 including a first-innings hat-trick in the Western Australia Second XI’s five-wicket win against the Victoria Second XI earlier this week.The Warriors have also been forced to make four other changes, with Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Hussey and Damien Martyn all playing for Australia in the first Test at the Gabba. Shaun Marsh, Clint Heron, Adam Voges and Luke Ronchi have been brought into the squad.New South Wales have named three spinners with Nathan Hauritz, who has not played a Pura Cup game this season, joining Stuart MacGill and Beau Casson in the Blues’ 12-man squad. Hauritz has been impressive in the Ford Ranger Cup, where he has taken nine wickets at 17 in four matches for the New South Wales, but has played limited first-class cricket since making his Test debut for Australia in 2004.He managed only one Pura Cup game for Queensland last season before moving to Sydney in May this year. MacGill has recovered from the nose injury he sustained during fielding practice on Saturday and will lead the Blues’ spin attack.Simon Katich and Nathan Bracken will add strength to the team after returning from Champions Trophy duty in India. Greg Mail has made way for Katich at the top of the order while Bracken replaces Stuart Clark, who is also playing in the Test match. Hauritz takes the place of the allrounder Moises Henriques, who has a leg injury. New South Wales are second on the Pura Cup table with two wins from three games. Western Australia have one draw and two losses to show from their first three matches.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Simon Katich (capt), Ed Cowan, Dominic Thornely, Aaron O’Brien, Brad Haddin (wk), Beau Casson, Matthew Nicholson, Nathan Hauritz, Nathan Bracken, Doug Bollinger, Stuart MacGill.Western Australia squad Chris Rogers, Clint Heron, Marcus North (capt), Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Luke Ronchi (wk), Brad Hogg, Aaron Heal, Shawn Gillies, Ben Edmondson, Steve Magoffin, Tim Macdonald.

1. Saqlain Mushtaq – hit to midwicket, Test No. 2 v Pak, Hobart, 1999
2. Paul Wiseman – extra cover, Test No. 7 v NZ, Auckland, 2000
3. Mahendra Nagamootoo – straight drive, Test No. 14 v WI, Sydney, 2001
4. Harbhajan Singh – mid-on, Test No. 15 v Ind, Mumbai, 2001
5. Harbhajan Singh – long-on, Test No. 15 v Ind, Mumbai, 2001
6. Rahul Sanghvi – midwicket, Test No. 15 v Ind, Mumbai, 2001
7. Rahul Sanghvi – long-on, Test No. 15 v Ind, Mumbai, 2001
8. Ashley Giles – mid-on, Test No. 18 v Eng, Edgbaston, 2001
9. Mark Butcher – midwicket, Test No. 18 v Eng, Edgbaston, 2001
10. Mark Butcher – long-on, Test No. 18 v Eng, Edgbaston, 2001
11. Mark Butcher – square leg, Test No. 18 v Eng, Edgbaston, 2001
12. Craig White – long-on, Test No. 18 v Eng, Edgbaston, 2001
13. Phil Tufnell – midwicket, Test No. 22 v Eng, The Oval, 2001
14. Nathan Astle – long-on, Test No. 23 v NZ, Brisbane, 2001
15. Daniel Vettori – long-on, Test No. 24 v NZ, Hobart, 2001
16. Daniel Vettori – long-off, Test No. 25 v NZ, Perth, 2001
17. Chris Cairns – straight drive, Test No. 25 v NZ, Perth, 2001
18. Andre Nel – square leg, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
19. Nicky Boje – midwicket, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
20. Nicky Boje – extra cover Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
21. Neil McKenzie – square leg, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
22. Andre Nel – midwicket, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
23. Neil McKenzie – square leg, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
24. Nicky Boje – midwicket, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
25. Nicky Boje – square leg, Test No. 29 v SA, Johannesburg, 2002
26. Paul Adams – straight drive, Test No. 30 v SA, Cape Town, 2002
27. Paul Adams – midwicket, Test No. 30 v SA, Cape Town, 2002
28. Danish Kaneria – midwicket, Test No. 33 v Pak, Sharjah, 2002
29. Ashley Giles – straight drive, Test No. 35 v Eng, Brisbane, 2002
30. Ashley Giles – straight drive, Test No. 35 v Eng, Brisbane, 2002

31. Richard Dawson – midwicket, Test No. 36 v Eng, Adelaide, 2002
32. Richard Dawson – mid-off, Test No. 36 v Eng, Adelaide, 2002
33. Mark Butcher – long-off, Test No. 37 v Eng, Perth 2002
34. Pedro Collins – midwicket, Test No. 40 v WI, Georgetown, 2003
35. Vasbert Drakes – long-on, Test No. 40 v WI, Georgetown, 2003
36. Marlon Samuels – midwicket, Test No. 41 v WI, Port of Spain, 2003
37. Mervyn Dillon – midwicket, Test No. 41 v WI, Port of Spain, 2003
38. Tino Best – midwicket, Test No. 42 v WI, Bridgetown, 2003
39. Tino Best – midwicket, Test No. 42 v WI, Bridgetown, 2003
40. Omari Banks – long-off, Test No. 42 v WI, Bridgetown, 2003
41. Andy Blignaut – square leg, Test No. 46 v Zim, Perth, 2003
42. Ray Price – mid-on, Test No. 46 v Zim, Perth, 2003
43. Ray Price – mid-on, Test No. 46 v Zim, Perth, 2003
44. Trevor Gripper – long-on, Test No. 46 v Zim, Perth, 2003
45. Ray Price – midwicket, Test No. 46 v Zim, Perth, 2003
46. Anil Kumble – long-on, Test No. 49 v Ind, Adelaide, 2003
47. Sachin Tendulkar – midwicket, Test No. 49 v Ind, Adelaide, 2003
48. Kaushal Lokuarachchi – long-on, Test No. 53 v SL, Kandy, 2004
49. Sanath Jayasuriya – mid-on, Test No. 53 v SL, Kandy, 2004
50. Muttiah Muralitharan – long-on, Test No. 53 v SL, Kandy, 2004
51. Rangana Herath – midwicket, Test No. 54 v SL, Colombo, 2004
52. Rangana Herath – midwicket, Test No. 54 v SL, Colombo, 2004
53. Lasith Malinga – midwicket, Test No. 56 v SL, Cairns, 2004
54. Upul Chandana – long-off, Test No. 56 v SL, Cairns, 2004
55. Anil Kumble – long-on, Test No. 57 v Ind, Bangalore, 2004
56. Anil Kumble – long-off, Test No. 57 v Ind, Bangalore, 2004
57. Harbhajan Singh – long-on, Test No. 57 v Ind, Bangalore, 2004
58. Anil Kumble – midwicket, Test No. 59 v Ind, Mumbai, 2004
59. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 61 v NZ, Brisbane, 2004
60. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 61 v NZ, Brisbane, 2004

61. Daniel Vettori – long-on, Test No. 61 v NZ, Brisbane, 2004
62. Craig McMillan – square leg, Test No. 61 v NZ, Brisbane, 2004
63. Danish Kaneria – long-on, Test No. 64 v Pak, Melbourne, 2004
64. Danish Kaneria – long-on, Test No. 65 v Pak, Sydney, 2005
65. Mohammad Asif – square leg, Test No. 65 v Pak, Sydney, 2005
66. Mohammad Asif – straight drive, Test No. 65 v Pak, Sydney, 2005
67. Shahid Afridi – straight drive, Test No. 65 v Pak, Sydney, 2005
68. Shahid Afridi – long-on, Test No. 65 v Pak, Sydney, 2005
69. Daniel Vettori – long-on, Test No. 66 v NZ, Christchurch, 2005
70. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 66 v NZ, Christchurch, 2005
71. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 66 v NZ, Christchurch, 2005
72. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 66 v NZ, Christchurch, 2005
73. Daniel Vettori – extra cover Test No. 66 v NZ, Christchurch, 2005
74. Nathan Astle – midwicket, Test No. 66 v NZ, Christchurch, 2005
75. Chris Martin – mid-on, Test No. 67 v NZ, Wellington, 2005
76. Chris Martin – long-on, Test No. 67 v NZ, Wellington, 2005
77. Daniel Vettori – long-off, Test No. 67 v NZ, Wellington, 2005
78. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 67 v NZ, Wellington, 2005
79. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 67 v NZ, Wellington, 2005
80. Paul Wiseman – long-on, Test No. 68 v NZ, Auckland, 2005
81. Matthew Hoggard – straight drive, Test No. 72 v Eng, Nottingham, 2005
82. Daniel Vettori – long-on, Test No. 74 v ICC, Sydney, 2005
83. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 74 v ICC, Sydney, 2005
84. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 74 v ICC, Sydney, 2005
85. Daniel Vettori – midwicket, Test No. 74 v ICC, Sydney, 2005
86. Shaun Pollock- extra cover, Test No. 80 v SA, Sydney, 2006
87. Shaun Pollock – midwicket, Test No. 80 v SA, Sydney, 2006
88. Mohammad Rafique – long-on, Test No. 84 v Bang, Fatullah, 2006
89. Enamul Haque – midwicket, Test No. 84 v Bang, Fatullah, 2006
90. Enamul Haque – long-off, Test No. 84 v Bang, Fatullah, 2006
91. Enamul Haque – long-off, Test No. 84 v Bang, Fatullah, 2006
92. Enamul Haque – midwicket, Test No. 84 v Bang, Fatullah, 2006
93. Enamul Haque – midwicket, Test No. 84 v Bang, Fatullah, 2006
94. Monty Panesar – long-on, Test No. 88 v Eng, Perth, 2006
95. Monty Panesar – long-on, Test No. 88 v Eng, Perth, 2006
96. Monty Panesar – long-on, Test No. 88 v Eng, Perth, 2006
97. Matthew Hoggard – long-on, Test No. 88 v Eng, Perth, 2006
98. Lasith Malinga – midwicket, Test No. 92 v SL, Hobart, 2007
99. Muttiah Muralitharan – midwicket, Test No. 92 v SL, Hobart, 2007
100. Muttiah Muralitharan – midwicket, Test No. 92 v SL, Hobart, 2007

Greg Chappell is likely to stay on as India’s coach irrespective of theteam’s performance in the World Cup, contrary to the widely held beliefthat his future with Indian cricket is linked to the World Cup.Cricinfo has learnt that the the Board of Control for Cricket of India(BCCI) is keen to retain the services of Chappell, whose two-year tenurecomes to an end in May, for the large-scale rebuilding of the team if itfails to perform well in the World Cup.A senior member of the Board told Cricinfo today that it will not be thecoach, but the non-performing players who will come under the scanner.The national selection committee has already sent a strong message – perform or be dropped – to India’s cricketers but the case of VirenderSehwag is not an isolated one. Sections of the BCCI have grownincreasingly worried about the team¹s stagnation and the recent poor performances and are no longer willing to sit back and watch.Traditionally the office bearers of the BCCI have taken a back seat whenit comes to the actual business of bat and ball, preferring to concentrateon administering the game and raising funds while leaving cricket to theselectors, the coach and the captain.However, indications are that they have had enough, and are raisingserious questions about the attitude of certain senior players who havefailed to deliver as expected.In the past, senior players have been virtually untouchable, despitesuffering from poor form or carrying niggling injuries. But, if a seniorIndian board official is to be believed, this is set to end quickly.”The way we see it, the World Cup could be a last hurrah for certainplayers,” he said. “If the performance in the World Cup is not up to ourexpectations, then you can expect a number of changes. No one will bespared, no matter how big he is.”Critically, in all this, the Board has given events a complete twist bystrongly suggesting that Greg Chappell, the coach, could continue afterthe World Cup.”He is a good coach. What can he do if players are not performing?” askedthe official. “It is media speculation and an assumption among the playersthat Chappell’s contract will not be renewed after the World Cup.”Only recently Dilip Vengsarkar and Chappell had visited Shashank Manohar,a vice-president of the BCCI who has repeatedly called for moreaccountability from the players and has been in the forefront ofimplementing a system where players will be paid in correlation to theperformance of the team.That system is set to be put in place shortly and the latest round ofassurances from the board to the coach could well result in a scenariowhere no player can take his place for granted.

Trinidad & Tobago 210 for 8 (Ganga 64) beat Windward Islands 205 (Smith 81) by five runs
Scorecard

Tante Merle was resurrected here yesterday, and Trinidad and Tobago’s cricketers kick-started Carnival celebrations with a tense, nerve-jangling victory in the KFC Cup final against the Windward Islands.In an absorbing duel in which fortunes repeatedly swung back and forth, the match was decided in the final over which the Windwards started requiring eight runs with just a solitary wicket in hand. By then, there had been so many twists and turns no one at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex dared to predict who would win.Desperate singles were scampered from the first two balls and a dot ball went into the scorebook from the next ball. As Ezekiel Francis and Mervyn Matthew tried to steal another single, Ravi Rampaul, on his follow-through, effected an under-arm run-out to give Trinidad and Tobago victory by five runs.It was a superb finish that brought back memories of that so-called Tante Merle match between Trinidad and Tobago and the Combined Islands that ended in a tie at the Queen’s Park Oval in 1975. This did not go down to the final ball, but the end was just as gripping and the exchanges throughout the day were fierce and competitive.Trinidad and Tobago have not lost a match in the shorter form of the game this season and you saw why. When their backs were to the wall, they fought brilliantly. When they were batting, they were 45 for 3, and later 118 for 5. To their credit they managed 210 for 8 from their 50 overs. When they fielded, they had the Windwards 82 without loss and later 188 for 7 with 23 runs needed from 26 balls. To dismiss the Windwards for 205 was a job well done.”This is a great victory,” said victorious skipper Daren Ganga. “Words cannot describe the sort of effort and fight we showed as a team. That is the character and quality of our team. We were pushed to the line and we responded well. I want to commend the guys. They played brilliantly. Everyone played his part.”Windwards’ victory charge was admirably led by Devon Smith, whose 81 was another impressive effort, and when there was a wobble in the middle of the innings, captain Rawl Lewis counter-attacked with 39 off 37 balls. When Rampaul spectacularly yorked Lewis to leave Windwards 188 for 8, Trinidad and Tobago put their noses ahead and prevailed in the end, leaving the Windwards ruing their missed opportunity.”I’m extremely disappointed. It’s hard enough to get to the final, but when you’re in a position like that and you lose, it’s very difficult to take,” Lewis said. “Experience played a big part in the end. You had more balls than runs, but the guys went for big shots.”Apart from Rampaul, three others played a big part in the Trinidad and Tobago defence of their total. Dave Mohammed claimed the first two wickets after the Windwards’ fine opening stand and added another in the penultimate over when Gary Mathurin missed a big swing and was bowled. Mohammed also took a splendid diving catch at backward point that prised out Smith.Kieron Pollard showed his value with the ball, grabbing three mid-innings wickets, and Sherwin Ganga slowed the Windwards’ advance with ten overs of mean offspin in which he conceded only 17 runs. It followed his vital 64 and he was the obvious Man-Of-The-Match.Yet again, it was predictable that the captain winning the toss would field, and Trinidad and Tobago, batting first for the first time in the tournament, struggled for the vast majority of their innings. For the second successive day, Deighton Butler was a handful with the new ball even if he was wicketless. His partner Mervyn Matthew bowled well to remove Adrian Barath and Daren Ganga. At the start, there was a bit of give in the surface and some sideways movement, but the track improved as the match progressed and it was the best of the three separate pitches presented for the semi-finals and final.Trinidad and Tobago owed a lot to Sherwin Ganga for getting them to a total they could work with. After they lost Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin, Ganga, with a mixture of responsibility and enterprise, stabilised things and later found key partners in Richard Kelly and Dave Mohammed.Ganga hit only two fours, but he also clouted two sixes, and his partnerships of 43 with Kelly, and 38 with Mohammed, were vital in the circumstances. Kelly was aggressive from the beginning, hitting 41 off 50 balls; Mohammed was just as attacking in his 19 off 29 balls.