T&T batter J'ca to win US$1m Stanford 20/20
COOLIDGE, Antigua - Trinidad and Tobago handed Jamaica a humiliating nine-wicket defeat to render last night's grand final of the 2008 Stanford Twenty/20 tournament a complete anti-climax and claim the US$1 million bonanza.

For second prize, Chris Gayle and his Jamaica team were rewarded with US$500,000.

It was a sweet moment for the Trinidadians, who in the inaugural tournament in 2006 lost a close and thrilling encounter to Guyana. In the process the Trinis also avenged their defeat to Jamaica in the KFC One-Day competition last October.

Mesmerised by the left-arm back-of-the-hand spin of Dave Mohammed (4-20) from four overs, the Jamaicans were first bundled out for 91 in 16.4 overs. Jamaica lost their last five wickets for three runs in seven balls.

Then as the large Trinidadian contingent danced, shell-shocked Jamaicans saw their bowlers go to pieces.

Trinidad and Tobago raced to victory in 9.2 overs, reaching 94-1, as the 23-year-old Lendl Simmons (26 from 18 balls) fittingly ended the match with a six - launching Marlon Samuels over long on.

Having lost Denesh Ramdin (11 from five balls) in the second over to fast bowler Jerome Taylor, the Trinidadians with the 21-year-old William Perkins (50 from 33 balls, seven fours, one six) playing the lead role, slaughtered wayward Jamaican bowling to complete the easy victory.

Earlier, Jamaica got off to a horrible start, Shawn Findlay (0) on the drive was given out caught behind to pacer Rayad Emrit for his second 'duck' in as many matches.

Samuels (27 from 29 balls) and Xavier Marshall (20 from 18 balls) battled back in a second-wicket stand of 40 in eight overs. Marshall's swing over midwicket off a Sherwin Ganga off break was probably the shot of the Jamaica innings.

But having hit 20 from 18 balls, the 21-year-old right-hander swung wildly at Badree, only to under edge on to the stumps at 42-2 in the eighth over.

A slump followed, Samuels having pulled Dwayne Bravo's bouncer to the midwicket boundary attempted to clear the straight boundary only to provide a comfortable catch to long on.

Gayle (six from 10 balls), who surprisingly demoted himself to number five in the order, fell in bizarre fashion - his under edge from an attempted pull against Mohammed bounced off his boot on to the stumps at 58-4 in the 12th over. It should have been 59-5 in the following over as Wavell Hinds (10 from 13 balls) miscued pull to Bravo's bouncer looped to wide mid on, only for Rayad Emrit to spill what should have been an easy chance.

But the Trinis were soon celebrating again, Danza Hyatt (4 from 16 balls), who has had a golden run, found himself unable to pick Mohammed's googlies and china men and was easily stumped, as he left his crease in a frustrated effort to free the shackles.

Carlton Baugh (19 from seven balls) hit out in typical fashion to provide renewed hope for Jamaicans - swinging Ganga into the stands at midwicket and launching Mohammed straight for six.

But he missed his attempt to repeat the shot and saw the ball ricochet to stumps from his front pad at 88-6 with 15.3 overs bowled.

David Bernard (1) fell next ball - run out to a suicidal second run at 89-7.

Jerome Taylor (0), swinging to leg, missed to be bowled by Mohammed's googly at 89-8.

Hinds followed suit, caught at wide long as he skied his attempted pull over midwicket off Emrit, which left Nikita Miller (0) to be bowled next ball.

To their great shame, Jamaica had been dismissed with three overs and two balls to spare.

It was then left to T&T's batsmen to complete the humiliation.

"It feels like Christmas. We had a scare in the semi-finals and today we came out showed our fans and the entire Trinidad and Tobago that we are proud of their support and we give them this victory," an elated Ganga said.

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