Dominant Barbados win Super50 Cup final with Pride

Red Force were unable to provide veteran all-rounder Jason Mohammed with a fitting CG United Super50 Cup send-off as they succumbed to a nine-wicket loss against newly-minted champions Barbados Pride in a low-scoring final at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, on November 29.

The TT team failed to impress when it mattered most and were dismissed for a paltry 168 from 42.3 overs, batting first. Barbados capitalised on the Red Force’s shortcomings and stormed to a victorious 169/1 from 29.3 overs, led by a captain’s knock of 89 not out from Kyle Mayers to their first Super50 Cup crown since 2017.

With Red Force skipper Joshua Da Silva banking on his first senior title with the national team as captain, a hero’s send-off for Mohammed and coach Rayad Emrit’s first Super50 crown as coach, in the end, it was not to be.

Put in to bat, TT opener Tion Webster showed an early, no-nonsense approach as he dispatched fast bowler Akeem Jordan for two boundaries in the opening over. Despite his bright start, fellow opener Cephas Cooper could not match it and was brilliantly stumped by wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher off the first ball of the second over. He went without scoring.

Amir Jangoo (20) joined Webster in the middle and the latter took a liking to Jordan’s pace, smashing him for consecutive fours in the fourth over. Webster put him on the boundary rope once more before Jangoo gave Pride skipper Kyle Mayers a rude introduction to his spell by pulling him for six in the eighth over.

Bajan off-spinner Kemar Smith faced a spurt of Jangoo’s wrath in the next over, getting hit for two fours, but came up trumps off his final delivery by having the left-hander edge into Boucher’s gloves, to send Red Force 46/2 after ten overs.

A mixture of Bajan spells from Mayers, Jones and Joshua Bishop, between the 13th and 19th overs, restricted Webster and new batsman Jason Mohammed to just 19 runs between the two.

Mohammed (12), hoping to close off his decorated career on a high, could not achieve his dream finish as Bishop had him play into the hands of Kraigg Brathwaite.

Altogether, Mohammed played 140 List A one-day matches, from 2007-2025, scoring 3,827 runs from 121 innings, with his highest score of 142. He hit six centuries and 24 half-centuries.

At 75/3, Yannic Cariah and Webster added nine more runs before Bishop made another breakthrough, this time, bowling Webster (43) between bat and pad.

Skipper Da Silva (nine) was expected to bring some stability to the middle of the Red Force innings, but he did not last, after being brilliantly caught and bowled by Dominic Drakes, who had to dive to his right to pluck the ball out of the air.

Navin Bidaisee was trapped in front of his stumps for five runs before Jyd Goolie came in for a short cameo. Goolie (13) looked good with the bat, slamming Drakes for three consecutive fours, just before the Bajan pacer dismissed him leg-before.

At the 35-over break, Red Force were in a spot of bother at 139/7, with Cariah and Terrance Hinds charged with breathing new life into the innings at the resumption.

Hinds (12) pulled Bishop for a maximum, but he soon departed, two overs later, with Bishop forcing him to play into Smith’s hands.

Joshua James only scored two runs, which saw Red Force slide to 164/9, before Cariah was last go (35), bowled by Dominic Drakes, all out for 168 from 42.3 overs.

Bishop finished pick of the bowlers with 4/27 while Drakes bagged 4/34.

With the coveted Super50 Cup title on the line, Red Force’s bowling attack had to be seamless.

However, when Pride openers Mayers and Boucher got to the middle, they showed clear intent and punished TT with the willow.

Despite Red Force's quick Terrance Hinds starting with a maiden, he went for 15 in the third over as Boucher slashed back-to-back fours before Mayers closed it off with a huge six.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Ricky Jaipaul was not spared as Boucher also hit him for consecutive boundaries in the next over. Boucher and Mayers rotated the strike nicely as they took advantage of a somewhat helpless Red Force unit.

In the ninth over, Mayers welcomed Goolie to the attack with a boundary off his first delivery. Goolie was peppered in that over, conceding two more fours and a six off Mayers, giving up 18 runs.

Mayers brought up his seventh List A half-century with back-to-back sixes off Goolie in the 13th over. After 15 overs, Barbados were cruising at 121 without loss, but not before Mayers blasted Bidaisee for consecutive sixes and a boundary.

Cariah entered the attack and went for a maiden in the 16th, before Hinds made a late breakthrough, by getting Boucher out caught by Joshua James on his ball-a-run 50. He hit nine fours and one six.

With overs on their side, Zachary McCaskie met Mayers in the middle, and the pair batted patiently. However, needing just 35 runs from 29.4 overs, with nine wickets in hand, rain forced a 25-minute stoppage.

When play resumed, Mayers and McCaskie slowly chipped away at the target. Mohammed was brought in to TT’s bowling attack for the last hurrah as the Bajans cruised home.

Mohammed bowled a couple overs to close off his List A career, but, unluckily, had the winning run hit off his spell, as Mayers (89 not out) and McCaskie (19 not out) took them over the line to 169/1.

Summarised Scores

TT RED FORCE 168 (42.3) — Tion Webster 43, Yannic Cariah 35, Amir Jangoo 20; Joshua Bishop 4/27, Dominic Drakes 4/34 vs BARBADOS PRIDE 169/1 (29.3) — Kyle Mayers 89 not out, Leniko Boucher 50, Zachary McCaskie 19 not out — Barbados Pride won by nine wickets to be crowned Super50 Cup champions