T&T beat Titans via D/L method to enhance semi-final hopes

Evin Lewis (70) and Darren Bravo (63) hit blistering fifties as Trinidad and Tobago registered a six-run victory over Titans via the Duckworth/Lewis method, in a rain-hit Champions League T20 match at the at the Sardar Patel stadium, in Ahmedabad, on Monday.

The victory put the Caribbean side in strong contention for a berth in the semi-finals.

Sent in to bat, Trinidad and Tobago rode on a solid second wicket partnership of 109 runs between opener Lewis and Bravo to post a challenging 188 for six.

They then restricted Titans to 153 for six in 17 overs before heavy rain forced the match to be called off.

Calculated under the Duckworth/Lewis method, the par score was 159 and since Titans were behind at that point, Trinidad and Tobago were adjudged winners by six runs.

With this victory, T&T have eight points from three matches, and are placed second, behind Chennai Super Kings (12), who they play in their last group match on October 2 in Delhi.

Lewis blasted seven fours and five sixes in his 35-ball, 70-run innings, while Bravo hit five boundaries and four sixes in his 44-ball stay to lay the foundation for T&T’s big total.

Chasing 189 to win, openers Henry Davids (42) and Jacques Rudolph (31) gave Titans a flying start, amassing 65 in 6.5 overs before the former was dismissed by Rayad Emrit.

One-down batsman Heino Kuhn could not stay longer as he was sent packing by Samuel Badree in the 10th over.

Lendl Simmons then struck twice in the next over, dismissing opener Rudolph and Roelof van der Merwe (4) as Titans slipped to 88 for four in 10.4 overs.

AB de Villiers (23) and Farhaan Behardien (29) added 49 for the fifth wicket in 29 balls to resurrect the innings to an extent. But T&T spinner Sunil Narine's twin strike – Behardien and David Wiese (0) -- in the 16th over left the Titans reeling 137 for six in 15.5 overs.

De Villiers and Mangaliso Mosehle (11) then added 16 runs but the heavens opened up and the match was called off.

Earlier, T&T lost opener Simmons (0) early in the innings after being asked to take the first strike by Titan skipper Henry Davids. However, Lewis and Bravo took upon the responsibility and kept the scoreboard ticking.

Lewis showed little respect for the bowlers as he plundered a four and two sixes off Morne Morkel in the third over. Bravo too followed suit and clobbered three fours off de Lange in the next over.

Rowan Richards was introduced into the attack then but Lewis treated him with equal disdain as he smacked the bowler for a six and a couple of fours as T&T reached 48 for one in five overs.

Lewis continued his blitzkrieg, picking two fours and a six in the next two overs to reach his fifty off just 21 balls.

In the ninth over, Lewis sent Henry Davids out of the park over, wide long-off, and then sent the fielders on a leather hunt with a couple of fours in the 10th over by Farhaan Behardien. 

Image: Evin Lewis of Trinidad & Tobago raises his bat after scoring fifty

Photograph: BCCI