Rain and the much-feared Duckworth/Lewis system caused an anti-climatic end to what was turning out into an interesting battle in the Zone A Red Stripe Bowl opener at the Sir Frank Worrell Oval in Jamaica yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago emerged winners by 13 runs when the Duckworth/Lewis calculations were brought into effect after 25 overs of their run chase. By that time they had reached 102 for three going after the Leewards’ tame 203 for six from a full 50 overs.

The rains came at 3:22 pm and did not allow play anytime after, forcing umpires Eddie Nicholls and Dalton Holder to officially close the game at ten minutes to five.

The Leewards XI were given a hurried start of 55 from 15 overs by their openers Alex Adams and Shane Jeffers. But with the introduction of the Trinidadian spin trio of Dave Mohamed, Dinanath Ramnarine and Rodney Sooklal, the proceedings slowed considerably and runs had to be taken more in singles and twos with a rare boundary intermittently.

Jeffers departed first for 28 (3x4, 1x6) from 38 balls, when he top edged a huge swipe into Aneil Kanhai’s hands at cover. Adams stuck around for a while longer but only got as far as 32 with four fours from 78 balls.

All rounder Carl Tuckett batting at number five, was the main contributor for the Leewards with 43 runs from 76 balls.

He put on 46 runs for the sixth wicket with West Indies all-rounder Omari Banks who ended not out on 26.

The lanky off-spinning all-rounder batted for just over half an hour and hit one four from the 45 balls he faced.

Captain, Stuart Williams did not last long, making only nine.

The attacking right hander, who came in at number four, lost his wicket to a wickedly sharp delivery from left-arm spinner Mohamed, who ended with 3 for 31 from ten overs to lead the Trini bowling attack.

West Indies leg-spinner Ramnarine was also an integral figure in the restricting act taking two for 38 from his full complement of overs.

With the relatively unchallenging total at hand, the Trinidadian were given an early scare.

They lost their two openers, Imran Jan (01) and Andy Jackson (10) in the first and third overs to pacer Elsroy Powell.

It took Trinidad’s two most outstanding batsmen in captain Darren Ganga and West Indies skipper Brian Lara to steady the ship with a 43-run partnership.

Just as Lara was freeing up his arms in the face of the very surprisingly restrictive Leewards attack he went by the run out route after Ganga unwisely chose to send him back when he had darted off for a single.

Many members of the crowd walked out on Lara’s departure after only witnessing two boundaries from the master batsman’s bat.

Ganga and Dwayne Bravo then used common sense and guile to keep the scoreboard ticking and the run rate in their favour as the rain threatened from all angles.

When it finally came, just as the 25th over was being completed, the Trinidadians were assured of a victory since they were 13 runs ahead of the 90 needed for victory with three wickets down based on the Duckworth/ Lewis system.

Ganga, batting responsibly, ended just one short of what would have been the only half century of the match. He faced 66 balls and cashed in for four crisp boundaries. Bravo ended on 17, with a solitary four from 45 balls.

Powell was the lone wicket taker for the Leewards, claiming his two wickets for 26 runs from 5 overs.