T&T U15s edge Jamaica in rain-hit Rising Stars opener

Trinidad & Tobago Under-15s held their nerve to pull off a tense two-wicket DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) victory over hosts Jamaica in the opening match of the Rising Stars bilateral series at the Melbourne Cricket Club yesterday.

The contest, heavily affected by rain, was first reduced to 41 overs per side following overnight showers that left sections of the outfield damp.

Further rain interruptions forced the umpires to shorten the game again to 34 overs, setting the stage for a low-scoring but thrilling encounter.

After winning the toss, Jamaica opted to bat but struggled to build momentum against disciplined Trinidad & Tobago bowling.

The hosts were restricted to 96 for nine in their allotted 34 overs, with captain Zachary Buchanan top-scoring with 20 from 30 balls.

Jermari Bryce contributed 17, while opener Jayden Shaw and Rajae McGeachy chipped in with 14 runs each. However, regular wickets prevented Jamaica from posting a competitive total.

Seamer K’Hill Thomas led the Trinidad & Tobago bowling effort with an impressive four for 14, while Arnaldo Premchand provided solid support with three for 25.

Jamaica’s innings never fully recovered after early setbacks. However, a brief partnership between McGeachy and Bryce lifted the score to 57, before a middle-order collapse saw three wickets fall without adding a run, leaving Jamaica in deep trouble at 60 for six.

Despite Buchanan’s resistance, Jamaica continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and limped to 96 for nine at the close of their innings.

In reply, Trinidad & Tobago’s chase also proved far from straightforward, as Jamaica’s bowlers kept the contest alive throughout the innings.

The visitors stumbled early, losing two wickets with just eight runs on the board and slipped further to 14 for three.

Najai Wright (2 for 18) and Ranjay Thomas (2 for 23) spearheaded Jamaica’s fightback, regularly applying pressure and forcing errors from the Trinidad & Tobago batsmen, who had two self-inflicted run-outs to add to their misery.

Thomas top-scored with 21 to steady the innings, while Samir Boodoo made 16 and Keshav Mongru added 14 to inch the visitors closer to the target.

However, Jamaica fought back again, reducing Trinidad & Tobago to 79 for eight, leaving the match delicately poised.

With tension mounting, wicketkeeper Christaino Beharry provided the decisive blow, smashing a six to seal victory and carry Trinidad & Tobago to 102 for eight in 34 overs.

Speaking after the match, Trinidad & Tobago coach Nisar Mohammed praised his team’s resilience.

“We played well under the circumstances. The boys showed composure in a difficult game and fought hard for the win,” Mohammed said.

Jamaica coach Robert Samuels admitted his team did not perform to their full potential.

“We played at about 60 per cent today. There’s definitely room for improvement, and we’ll look to bounce back stronger in the next game, maybe with a few tweaks in our batting order. But I must give credit to the way we bowled.”

The win gives Trinidad & Tobago a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, which heads to the Jamaica Broilers ground in St Catherine for game two on Tuesday.