ALL-ROUNDER Yannick Ottley and opener Lendl Simmons reported for duty full of energy yesterday to propel Trinidad & Tobago to a three-wicket win over Jamaica in the 2013 Regional Super50 cricket match at Sabina Park.

The defeat condemned Jamaica to their first loss of the season in 50-over or first-class cricket, but they are still in the semi-finals along with yesterday’s victors.

Ottley bowled a steady line and length in limiting Jamaica to 225 all out off 45.2 overs, and later stroked an unbeaten 35 in a Man-of-the-Match performance that could only be matched by his teammate’s Simmons’ cultured 87 in Trinidad & Tobago’s response of 229 for seven off 49.4 overs.

It was anybody’s game up to the 40th over of Trinidad & Tobago’s response, with the visitors needing to score at seven runs an over to remain unbeaten this season, and even with five overs left, T&T were still in search of 36 runs.

However, the T&T lower order maintained its calm and composure by taking 13 off the penultimate over bowled by left-arm pacer Sheldon Cotterell and the visiting cheers were the only thing expected at the start of the final over from fellow pacer Andrew Richardson when only three runs were needed.

A blow for four by Rayad Emrit off the fourth ball hushed a sparsely populated Sabina Park and ushered in a series of criticisms from local fans as to why the home team lost.

Earlier, Andre McCarthy (88) and Jermaine Blackwood (85) added sheen to an already-bright Sabina Park, in propping up the Jamaica engine that stuttered along the way in a typical top-the-order batting failure by Xavier Marshall (0), and disappointing displays with the willow by Danza Hyatt (4), Nkrumah Bonner (17) and captain Tamar Lambert (0) that left Jamaica perilously positioned on 47 for four.

McCarthy and Blackwood could have forced West Indies selector Robert Haynes to make more jottings had they gone on to make centuries, but both fell in their 80s when they appeared well set to record historic hundreds.

They came together when Lambert was caught by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin off left-arm spinner Ottley and proceeded to repair the damage created when Marshall was leg before wicket to West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel off the last ball of the day’s first over; followed by Hyatt’s and Bonner’s dismissals, both off Ottley, after Jamaica were sent to bat on a slightly moist pitch that dried out as play wore on.

McCarthy began his speech to the scores of spectators at the world famous ground with a six off Yannic Cariah in the 10th over, and by the time Blackwood joined him in the 16th over, both batsmen developed a chemistry that resulted in exquisite running between the wickets.

McCartney hustled to his 50 off 71 balls, while Blackwood greeted Imran Khan with a six off the first ball of his only over, followed by a four to reach his half-century off 46 balls.

But the former Holmwood Technical High School standout Blackwood surrendered his wicket, backing away to hit out at Emrit, whom he had roughed up in previous overs, to give Ottley a simple catch at long on in the 40th over after he had faced only 67 balls.

McCarthy, in the meantime, promised to make up for Blackwood’s lapse, but he soon fell lbw to Sherwin Ganga in the 41st over with Jamaica on 216 for six, signalling the beginning of the end for the defending champions whose lower failed to sparkle.

Simmons’ partner Adrian Barath (9) fell leg before wicket to Richardson when T&T responded, but important contributions from Kjorn Ottley (25), Sherwin Ganga (32), Yannick Ottley and the inform Emrit (12) opened the door of disappointment for Jamaica, whose best display with the ball came from Bonner with three for 48-off nine overs.