Superstars Open Super Series With Win

Stanford Superstars 146-5 (Joseph 45no, Badree 2-20) beat
Trinidad & Tobago 124-8 (Guillen 31, Stewart 26, Benn 2-15) by 22 runs

Stanford Super Series Game 1, Antigua

The Stanford Superstars overcame a slow start to post 146 for five, going on to beat Trinidad and Tobago by 22 runs in the opening match of the Stanford Super Series in Antigua.

Neither team found top gear, with five catches going down in all and no batsmen reaching a half-century on a slow pitch as Trinidad and Tobago were restricted to 124 for eight in reply.

Trinidad and Tobago showed all their experience and skill in the shortest form of the game early on as the Superstars openers Andre Fletcher (25) and Travis Dowlin (37) came up with few answers to a testing opening spell from Ravi Rampaul and spinner Samuel Badree.

After Badree struck to have Fletcher caught by Ramdin and Ramnaresh Sarwan bowled for a golden duck, the Superstars crawled to 50 for two after 10 overs.

However, the Trinidad side has been weakened by the Superstars picking four of their players and their other bowlers weren't able to keep up the pressure as Sylvester Joseph and Kieron Pollard (24) counter-attacked, helped by three drops in the outfield by the Trinidad and Tobago fielders.

Pollard hit a six into the swimming pool at the back of the ground, but next ball was bowled by Navin Stewart but Sylvester Joseph, captain in the absence of Chris Gayle, struck two sixes and two fours to end unbeaten on 45 and get his side up to a defendable score.

Stewart also had Lindon James clean bowled to finish with two for 33, Badree ended with two for 20 after a superb spell with the new ball although Rampaul's figures of four overs for just 16 runs showed just how big a role he played in Trinidad and Tobago's early-game dominance.

Trinidad and Tobago made a confident start to their run chase, despite losing Lendl Simmons to the first ball he faced, caught by wicket-keeper James off of Jerome Taylor.

William Perkins (16) and Justin Guillen (31) got things moving and they had moved to 30 for one after four overs before Sulieman Ben struck to have Perkins bowled.

Daren Ganga spooned a catch to Sarwan off of Pollard for 13, leaving inexperienced pair Guillen and Stewart together with the task of rebuilding the innings.

Although the pair added 42 for the fourth wicket, by the time Stewart was caught in the deep by Darren Sammy, one of two excellent catches by the all-rounder, the run rate had spiralled out of control and the Superstars were in complete control.

Any faint hopes they had of an unlikely rested with Denesh Ramdin (13) but after he had hit Dave Mohammed for a sweetly-struck four through the covers, he was run out by Daren Powell attempting to retain the strike.

Trinidad and Tobago needed 26 to win from the final six balls, and once Benn (2-15) had bowled Badree for two and prevented a boundary from the third ball, the match was in the bag.

© Cricket World 2008