The cricket loving fans turned up, which is more than can be said for the entertainers. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard did their best to liven up the final of the Caribbean T20 but Jamaica’s resistance was so weak one wonders why they bothered.

Twenty20 is all about making runs. Keeping the scoreboard ticking over doesn’t cut it in this form of cricket. The game is specifically designed to encourage big hitting and risk taking. That’s what the crowd comes to see and that’s what the batsmen are expected to deliver.

In Australia they get it. Their version of T20 has been audaciously christened The Big Bash League. Somewhat crude perhaps, but it does what it says on the tin. Down under, scores approaching 200 have not been uncommon this season.

Such exhibitions were few and far between at the 2012 edition of the Caribbean T20. Trinidad & Tobago’s challenging target in the final was one of only three totals of 160 or more in the entire competition. Before you reach for the calculator, 160 represents a run rate of eight an over.

Batsmen are encouraged to go for their shots, particularly in the early part of the innings. During the Power Play, which occupies the first six overs, the field setting is deliberately restricted to tempt the batting side to play boldly and get away to a fast start.

Remarkably, Canada was one of the better exponents of the Power Play. Jimmy Hansra’s team, which left the Caribbean without winning a single game, went after the bowling in aggressive fashion, cutting and driving to the boundary with relative ease in the initial stages.

Using this platform, Canada compiled one of the competition’s top ten totals. The Power Play yielded 41 of their 143 runs against Guyana, only for their opponents to reach the target with three overs in hand. If Canada can score at more than seven an over it should be achievable for all the contestants.

It was not to be, particularly as the tournament reached its climax. Both semi-finals were desperately one sided. Neither the Windwards nor hosts Barbados were able to crack the hundred mark, leaving Jamaica and Trinidad to cruise into the final without ever needing an extra gear.

Barbados choked again in the playoff for third place. Three of their top four batsmen had perished before the end of the second over, a calamity from which they never recovered. Paceman Delorn Johnson returned competition best bowling figures of five for five from his four overs.

So who’s to blame for the sub-standard scoring at the Caribbean T20? There was nothing wrong with the wickets, either in Antigua or Barbados. The latter was a little livelier but since both Canada and the Netherlands achieved their highest scores in Bridgetown, the pitch could not have been the culprit.

The players themselves must shoulder responsibility. Risks must be taken – it is the nature of the game.

But there’s no excuse for poor choice of shot or bad communication which leads to run outs.

Jamaica could have done with its favourite son, Chris Gayle, to show them how to deal with T20 bowlers. Gayle though is playing in The Big Bash League and delivering the goods.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

BEIJING — Canada’s Gary Reed used the driving rain in his favour Thursday to advance to the Olympic final in the men’s 800 metres.

The men’s 4×100-metre relay team, meanwhile, caught a break when six teams either dropped the baton or were disqualified to earn a spot in their final.

Reed, from Kamloops, B.C., raced to a time one minute 45.85 seconds to finish second in his heat behind Algeria’s Nabil Madi. Kenya’s Alfred Kirwa Yego ran 1:44.73 for the fastest time of the night.

Rain played havoc with events all day at the Bird’s Nest stadium, but the skies had been relatively clear before Reed stepped up to the start for the third of three heats.

"I loved it," said Reed, a silver medallist at last year’s world championships in Osaka, Japan. "I could see it screwed up the Africans out there, I was at home as they were all getting cold. I live and train in Victoria, so I’m good. I train in that all year."

Canada’s men’s relay team raced to second in its heat in a race full of upsets, and head into Friday’s final with the fourth best time. The Jamaicans, who rested Usain Bolt — the double gold-medallist and world record holder — cruised to an easy win in the heat in 38.31, while the Canadians crossed in 38.77. Great Britain and Italy were disqualified.

The first heat was even crazier, with just four teams of eight even crossing the finish line. The Americans dropped the baton on the final exchange, while Nigeria, Poland, and South Africa also didn’t finish.

Earlier in the day, Scott Russell of Windsor, Ont., advanced to the final of the men’s javelin. Russell threw 80.42 metres on a rain-soaked morning to finish atop his group and sixth overall.

"I am absolutely happy with my performance," Russell said. "Now I’m going to rest up, get some treatment on my knee and get ready for Saturday."

There was a steady rain throughout the morning, delaying the start of the javelin and women’s high jump for an hour.

The javelin was delayed again after Russian Sergei Makarov slipped and fell on the runway. Russell also slipped and hit the ground.

Officials used towels to mop up puddles on the runway between throws.

Nicole Forrester of Aurora, Ont., failed to move on to the final in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.89 metres to finish 11th in her group.

Massimo Bertocchi of Toronto was in 19th place after three events of the decathlon — the 100 metres, long jump and shot put. The 22-year-old had 2,421 points with the high jump and 400 metres yet to go Thursday night. American Bryan Clay led with a score of 2,862.