Port-of-Spain, Trinidad –In a match of bowling-bests, rookie left-arm spinner Derone Davis topped pacer Tino Best as Combined Campuses and Colleges stunned Barbados on an action-packed Friday night at Queen’s Park Oval.
Davis took an amazing hat-trick – with the first three balls of the Barbados innings – the first time this was done in Caribbean T20. His returns of 4-2-5-4 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award as CCC defended a modest 111-8 to beat their more heralded opponents by 12 runs.
Best took 4-19 to record his best T20 figures, bettering the 4-26 he took against Leeward Islands earlier in the week.
Speaking about his performance, David said: "It could have been five but I held back on a catch (caught and bowl chance). I feel really great that I got a hat-trick and bowled so well and helped my team to win a game. We have been struggling a bit with two defeats so it is rewarding to finally get a victory.
"I wanted to do well, obviously I wanted to do my best. A hat-trick wasn’t on my mind, but I’m happy to get there.
"We really needed a good start because Barbados have batting right down, as you could see with Ashley (Nurse) and (Sulieman) Benn who came in and gave us a little scare close to the finish. We were defending a low total, so thankfully I provided the right kind of start with those crucial wickets which set them back," the Trinidad-born allrounder added.
His figures were the best of his three-match T20 career, which started earlier this week; the best by a CCC bowler in the tournament’s history; and the best in the ongoing tournament. The hat-trick was the fourth overall in the tournament’s history and the second this week by a CCC bowler, following Raymon Reifer’s performance against Guyana. Davis also wrote his name in the history books with the most economical figures, alongside Delorn Johnson of the Windwards, who took 4-2-5-5 against Barbados at Kensington Oval last year.
Davis’ hat-trick victims were Dwayne Smith and Ryan Hinds – both caught at slip by skipper Kyle Corbin – and Shamarh Brooks leg-before wicket.
"The hat-trick ball I wanted to bowl straight at the stumps and look for lbw or bowled. The lbw came. On this wicket it is doing a lot and you just have to bowl stump to stump and you will get results," the ambidextrous 20-year-old noted.
Davis was a member of the West Indies Under-19 team in 2011 and 2012. He toured Dubai and the United States and also played in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Australia last August. He was full of praise for team-mate Ryan Austin, who has been a mentor in the CCC team and Curtly Ambrose, the West Indies legend and CCC’s bowling consultant.
"Having a room-mate and assistant coach like Ryan Austin has helped me a lot. He has had an impact on my career. He has taught me a lot about variation and helped me work on different balls. He is a good mentor."
He said of Ambrose: "He is always there motivating the payers, not just the bowlers but batsmen as well, telling us what we need to do to win games.
"We had a few close games and we let them get away. This is one that we almost let get away. It was nice to get one on the cards and look to move from here."
The Caribbean T20 continues on Saturday with two matches. Leeward Islands come up against Windward Islands at 4 pm (3 pm Jamaica Time) and the second match will be a clash between defending champions Trinidad and Tobago and 2010 winners Guyana at 8 pm (7 pm Jamaica Time). All full house is expected as all tickets have been sold out.
Fans in the region can watch the entire tournament live on ESPN Caribbean – the broadcast partner of the West Indies Cricket Board. Additional coverage is available on ESPN’s Networks in the UK, Australia, Middle East and Africa. In Canada, fans can see the action via the Titan GSG Media Corporation.
FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(AT QUEEN’S PARK OVAL, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad)
Sunday, January 6
Trinidad & Tobago vs Jamaica – Match abandoned due to rain
Monday, January 7
Barbados beat Leeward Islands by 9 wickets
Guyana beat Combined Campuses & Colleges by 2 wickets
Tuesday, January 8
Barbados beat Jamaica by 5 wickets
T&T beat CCC by 7 wickets
Wednesday, January 9
Jamaica beat Windward Islands by 12 runs
T&T beat Leeward Islands by 95 runs
Thursday, January 10
Windwards beat CCC by 42 runs
Guyana beat Barbados by 42 runs
Friday, January 11
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica – TIE (Jamaica won one-over eliminator)
CCC beat Barbados by 12 runs
Saturday, January 12
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – 4 p.m.
Trinidad & Tobago vs Guyana – 8 p.m.
(AT BEAUSEJOUR CRICKET GROUND, Gros Islet, St. Lucia)
Tuesday, January 15
Guyana vs Jamaica – 4 p.m.
Windward Islands vs Trinidad & Tobago – 8 p.m.
Wednesday, January 16
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Leeward Islands – 4 p.m.
Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago – 8 p.m.
Thursday, January 17
Leeward Islands vs Guyana – 4 p.m.
Windward Islands vs Barbados – 8 p.m.
Friday, January 18
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Jamaica – 4 p.m.
Windward Islands vs Guyana – 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 19
Play-off: 2nd Place vs 3rd Place – 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 20
Grand Final: 1st Place vs Winner of Play-off – 8 p.m.