KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

TRINIDAD AND Tobago overcame moments of pressure to prevail over Windward Islands and lift the KFC Cup after completing a thrilling victory by five runs in an exciting final at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex yesterday.

Defending a total of 210 for eight from 50 overs, which represented a significant comeback, Trinidad and Tobago withstood an opening stand of 82 and grabbed three wickets at the death to restrict Windwards to 205 in 49.4 overs. Opener Devon Smith hit a brilliant 81 and captain Rawl Lewis made 39 to put Windwards on course, but Trinidad and Tobago, inspired by crucial strikes from Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard and Ravi Rampaul, won out in a tense finish.

The match was on a knife's edge when the last over from Rampaul started with eight runs needed and one wicket in hand.

Ezekiel Francis and Mervyn Matthew scampered singles off the first two balls and the third ball was scoreless. Rampaul then won the match by effecting a run out at the striker's end.

Rampaul had earlier struck a vital blow when he produced a yorker to bowl Lewis after the Windwards captain had smashed four fours and a six off 37 balls. Left-arm spinner Mohammed also played a key part with a wicket in the penultimate over and two earlier victims to finish with three for 36 off 10 overs, while medium-pacer Pollard set back Windwards in the middle of the innings with three for 44 off nine overs. Trinidad and Tobago were also indebted to Sherwin Ganga who followed up his 64 with 10 tight overs of off-spin in which he gave up only 17 runs to win the Man-of-the-Match award.

OPENING STAND

The Windwards were given an encouraging opening stand between Smith and Lyndon James, but once Trinidad and Tobago made the breakthrough, they gradually fought back.

After the faster bowlers made no impression, it was the spinners who checked Windwards' advance by keeping things tight and taking wickets at regular intervals.

Mohammed broke the opening stand when James (23) was lbw hitting across the line and he quickly added the wicket of Andre Fletcher, who edged a cut to slip.

There was more trouble for Windwards when Hyron Shallow was run out, but the big wicket came for Trinidad and Tobago when Mohammed dived to his right at backward point to take a catch that prised out Smith off Dillon after the left-hander had struck seven fours off 121 balls.

Responsible Effort

Trinidad and Tobago , sent in on another pitch that was not perfect for batting, slumped to 45 for three before Sherwin Ganga propped up the middle and lower order wit a responsible effort.

Fast bowler Mervyn Matthew caused the early problems to remofe Adrian Barath for a duck and captain Daren Ganga for seven before Darren Sammy bowled Lendl Simmons for 16.

The left-handed Ganga featured in useful partnerships with Pollard and Denesh Ramdin, but it was at the end that Trinidad and Tobago finally got some momentum going.

Pollad made 23 before giving a return catch to legspinner Lewis while Ramdin was the first of two run out victims after making 13.

Good Effort

Left hander Richard Kelly added 43 for the seventh wicket with Ganga and used the long handle to good effect in hitting an unbeaten 41 off 50 balls while Mohammed chipped in with 19 off 29 balls to help Trinidad and Tobago rally to a useful total.

Ganga mixed defence with agression in hitting two fours and two sixes before he was run out at the strikers end while trying to complete a second run after he turned the ball to mid wicke.

Matthew, who removed Mohammed in the final over, finished with three for 23 off eight overs, while Lewis took two for 45 from ten overs.

Left arm fast medium Deighton Butler was wicketless, but for the second successive day, he bowled 10 successive day, he bowled 10 successive overs wth the new ball and conceded only 30 runs.