Defending Champions Red Force Lead Star-Studded Semifinal Line-Up in CG United Super50 Cup

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago – The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the 2024 CG United Super50 Cup, as four teams emerged from a rain-affected but highly competitive round-robin phase.

Thrilling encounters lie ahead as table-toppers Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, Jamaica Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Barbados Pride vie for regional limited-overs glory.

Defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force demonstrated why they remain the team to beat, with five wins from their seven matches, building their campaign on exceptional spin bowling and consistent batting performances.

Khary Pierre, who took an exceptional 4/8 in their opening match, Yannic Cariah, and Bryan Charles have proven to be effective bowlers, while the batting partnership of Kjorn Ottley and Amir Jangoo flourished. Their recent win over Barbados Pride, featuring Ottley’s unbeaten 112, sent a strong message to the rest of the semifinal line-up.

Jamaica Scorpions recovered from an opening loss to Barbados Pride to secure second place. Carlos Brown’s maiden List A century (121) against Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) marked a turning point in their campaign, while Kirk McKenzie’s consistent performances and Marquino Mindley’s penetrative bowling have provided crucial contributions.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes have been one of the tournament’s most entertaining sides, largely due to Justin Greaves’ historic achievement of three consecutive List A centuries (111*, 112, 151*). Their bowling attack, typified by Rahkeem Cornwall’s two six-wicket hauls, with the most recent his 6/20 against CCC, provided a perfect complement to their batting strength. Despite three losses, their bonus points collection showed their ability to dominate matches at important times.

Barbados Pride earned their semifinal berth with their ability to win close encounters. Kevin Wickham’s century against the Hurricanes and Demetrius Richards’ match-winning 65* versus Guyana highlighted their batting depth while captain Kyle Mayers’ last-over heroics against the Volcanoes exemplified their fighting spirit.

Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe commented:

This year’s CG United Super50 has already been an improvement over previous years. Teams have been more responsive to the bonus points system and it showed in the quality of the performances. There have been a number of stellar performances and I anticipate a few more as we get to the climax over the next few days. Cricket fans in Trinidad should capitalise on the action and show support in person, as the teams bring this year’s tournament to a close.

The semifinals will be held at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on Wednesday 20 November and Thursday 21 November, with the final scheduled for Saturday 23 November at the same venue and time.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will oppose Barbados Pride at 1 pm on Wednesday 20 November, while the Jamaica Scorpions take on Leeward Islands Hurricanes at 1 pm on Thursday 21st November.

Teams will be competing for increased prize money with the winners set to receive US$100 000, while the runners-up will take home US$50 000. Both semi-finalists will be rewarded US$ 25,000 each.

Fans will be able to watch the semifinals and final live on ESPN Caribbean. Overseas fans can catch the action on ESPN+ (USA), BT Sport (UK & Ireland), and FanCode (India).

Tickets are available for all matches at both Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Semi-final tickets cost US$8 / TT$50, with final tickets at US$15 / TT$100. Tickets are also available online at www.tickets.windiescricket.com.