Trinidad overcome Brisbane Heat in low-scoring match

Pacer Ravi Rampaul led a fine bowling performance by scalping four wickets as Trinidad and Tobago defended a small total to beat Brisbane Heat by 25 runs in a low-scoring Champions League Twenty20 match here on Sunday. 

Put into bat, Trinidad and Tobago could score a modest 135 for nine with captain Denesh Ramdin (48) being the only substantial contributor but their bowlers bowled Brisbane out for 110 in 18.4 overs at the JSCA Stadium here.

Rampaul, who was coming back after recovering from an ankle injury, played the pivotal role, claiming four important wickets while conceding just 14 runs in his spell.

Off-spinner Sunil Narine and pacer Rayad Emrit chipped in with two wickets apiece while Samuel Badree got one wicket to help the Caribbean champions begin their Group B campaign with a win.  The match was stopped for 20 minutes following a power failure when Brisbane were into their seventh over.  For Brisbane, who struggled for runs from the very beginning of their run chase, opener Joe Burns was the lone main contributor with a 43-ball 45. They were still in with a chance to chase down the target of 136 when they reached 76 for three in the 14th over but suffered a batting collapse later on. They could add just 34 runs at the expense of seven wickets in 5.2 overs to be all out for 110 and lose the match.

Brisbane captain James Hopes was the first to be dismissed for just four in the third over off the bowling of Rampaul and from then on, the Australian champion side struggled throughout their run chase. The biggest partnership for Brisbane was the 45 for the third wicket between Burns and Daniel Christian (13). But with the T&T bowlers tightening the screws with a disciplined effort, the inexperienced Heat batting line-up crumbled with just four of them reaching double digit figures. Both the sides have come with a depleted squad as some players have either pulled out or playing for other teams in the tournament.

Earlier, pacer Alister McDermott grabbed four wickets as Brisbane restricted T&T for a modest 135 for nine.