The Jamaica Scorpions are through to the final of the WICB Regional Super50 after a commanding performance against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the semi-final at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua today.
On the way to a 292-run victory, the Scorpions, through centuries from Chadwick Walton and Jermaine Blackwood, racked up 434, more runs than any Caribbean team in history.
Walton, who was disappointed when he got out at 117, started the ball brilliantly with Steven Taylor, who made 88.
The two shared in a 174-run opening stand that ended in the 22nd over. Blackwood would pick up the mantle, batting with Walton before the latter went with the score on 269 for two.
Chadwick Walton (left) and Steven Taylor muscled 174 for the first wicket to bat defending champions, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force out of the tournamentChadwick Walton celebrates his maiden List A century. He also held five catches
By that time, Walton had faced just 96 deliveries, while Taylor took 71 to get to his total. Blackwood would then find a partner in Rovman Powell, who was just as keen to put his foot to the pedal, scoring 95 from 45 deliveries before he was bowled in the final over by Ravi Rampaul. The Red Force pacer ended with figures of 2-83 while Gabriel had bowled nine wicketless overs that yielded 91 runs.
West Indies batsman, Blackwood ended unbeaten on 108 from 88 deliveries.
If it was possible to bat a team out of a game, the Scorpions had done just that, and by the time Jerome Taylor, 3-27, and Reynard Leveridge, 2-31, had made some inroads into the top order, the game was over.
When Powell, who came on to bowl later on in the T&T innings, started carrying over his arm, the momentum from his batting spilled over and he ended up with 5-36 on a pitch that it was assumed was good for batting.
Only Jason Mohammed showed some fight, scoring a run-a-ball 62 with his captain, Denesh Ramdin, hanging around for 35 deliveries to score 27. The game was over in the 27th over, as Taylor took great pleasure in bowling Shannon Gabriel, who may want to forget this game as quickly as possible, for a duck.
The win is the Scorpions’ sixth on the trot in this year’s tournament and they will now await the winners of the other semifinal today between hosts the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Group B winners, Barbados Pride. The final is set for Saturday at the same venue when new champions will be crowned since two time champions, Red Force will not defend the title they won on home soil in 2015 and 2016. (Sportsmax)
