T&T Legions win Breakout T20 Title

Trinidad and Tobago Legions won the inaugural Cricket West Indies Breakout League T20 title after beating Leeward Islands Thunder by 17 runs in the final at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

Sent in to bat, Legions posted a challenging total of 181/5 from 20 overs.

The hosts were at 82 for one in the tenth over before a middle order collapse slipped them to 83 for four. However, resourceful batting from opener Kamil Pooran, with 73 off 44 balls, and captain Joshua Da Silva, with 40 not out off 3, revived the innings.

 As the Legions put the clamps on their batsmen, Pooran and fellow opener Amir Jangoo put on a solid 52 runs to give TT a positive start, but Leewards skipper Karima Gore tried to have Jangoo caught by Mikyle Louis.

Navin Bidaisee and Pooran added 30 runs to their total before Gore caught Bidaisee off Anderson Mahase.

Jyd Goolie faced two balls and was out by leg-spinner Micah McKenzie without scoring. Crystian Thurton also returned to the pavilion without scoring, trapped leg before to Karima Gore.

With TT slipping to 83/4, Da Silva joined Pooran to repair the innings. Pooran smashed four sixes and seven fours in his aggressive knock.

However, on the final ball of the 15th over, Pooran was caught leaving TT on 122/5.

With five overs remaining, Da Silva and Joshua James (26 not out off 16 balls) guided TT to a formidable 181/5 from 20 overs.

Da Silva hit 1 six and 4 fours in his unbeaten knock of 40. James hit 1 boundary and 2 sixes.

Gore (2/22) and McKenzie (2/29) were topping the bowling for Thunder.

In reply, Leewards gave the hosts an early scare in their chase, but were restricted to 164/9.

Set at 182 for victory, Leewards had a great start as openers Kofi James (63) and Jamie Cornelius (11) posted 57 runs for the first wicket. Cornelius was caught by Joshua James off McKenny Clarke in the fifth over.

However, Kofi James continued with his ruthless attack and, together with Jewel Andrew, carried the score to 71 before the latter was caught by Mikel Govia off Bidaisee.

Louis (one) came to the crease but did not last, as did skipper Gore, who only scored 5 runs.

At 89/4 after ten overs, and needing 92 runs from 60 balls, Leewards faced a difficult task.

Off-spinner Goolie then removed Kofi James for 63, which Joshua James caught. With TT regaining control of the contest, Goolie struck again as he got the wicket of Mahase (4).

At 115/6 after 14 overs, Thunder were in a bit of trouble, and 8 runs later, Goolie caught Giovante Depeiza (11), and Clarke took another wicket.

Needing 58 runs from the last five overs, Leewards’ Elroy Francis (23) and Cameron Pennyfeather (10) raised the score to 155/7 after 18 overs.

With 27 runs to win, 5 came from the penultimate over, but not before Clarke bowled Pennyfeather to see Leewards stumble to 156/8.

With Francis and McKenzie (4 not out) at the crease, they needed 22 from the final over but Francis was caught behind by Da Silva off pacer Johann Layne as they fell short.

Legions’ best bowler was Goolie with 3/13, while Clarke bagged 3/34 and Bidaisee.