Keemo Paul produced a stunning bowling spell to defend the Jaguars 298 total and hand the Leeward Islands Hurricanes their first defeat of the Cricket West Indies Regional Super50 Cup on Sunday at the Coolidge Cricket ground.
Captain, Leon Johnson won the toss and elected to bat first in the Jaguars’ first day/night match in Group B.
The visitors were set back early with the loss of veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the fourth over before the young pack stepped up to the challenge. Chanderpaul Hemraj and Shimron Hetmyer partnered for 50 runs to get the innings going. But Hemraj was out for 20 and Hetmyer fell 3 runs short of a half-century to leave the Jaguars in a spot of bother at 85-3 in the 21st over.
Johnson and Raymon Reifer then put on the partnership of the innings of 124 runs, before the Barbadian fell for 36.
Keemo Paul is fired up after breaking the Cornwall/Warde partnership (CWI Media photo)
Johnson stayed at the crease searching for his first List-A century, but it was not to be as he was run-out by Terrance Warde on 99 with the score on 250. The Jaguars skipper hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 93-ball stay at the crease.
Jaguars finished their 50 overs on 298 for 8 with Rahkeem Cornwall returning the best bowling figures for the Hurricanes with 1-23 from 10 overs.
In their reply, Hurricanes Captain, Kieran Powell was first to go, bowled by Keemo Paul for 12. Soon after Devon Thomas became Paul’s second wicket when he fell for 10.
Marlon Samuels, fresh off a match-winning hundred against his countrymen – Jamaica Scorpions in the Hurricanes previous match, made 13 before Reifer accounted for his wicket.
Cornwall then brought the Hurricanes back into the game with a captain’s knock of 119 from 96 balls that almost took the hosts over the ropes. He smashed 10 sixes and 4 fours on his way to his second century in this Super50 Cup.
He was partnered by Terrance Warde for a fighting 136-run partnership that was ended at 248 for 5 in the 39th over. Warde became Paul’s third victim and his dismissal was the beginning of the end with a dramatic collapse.
The last six wickets then tumbled for 36 runs as the Leeward Islands Hurricanes were bowled out for 282 in 45.5 overs, 16 runs short of victory.
Man of the Match, Keemo Paul finished with career best figures of 5/76, his maiden five-wicket haul in List A cricket.
The Jaguars now sit on 13 points and will take on the struggling Jamaica Scorpions on Thursday at Coolidge while the Hurricanes will battle Kent today at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in North Sound.
Scorpions vs Kent
Meanwhile, a star-studded Jamaica Scorpions suffered a shock defeat at the hands of English county side Kent CCC also on Sunday at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first the Scorpions was pummeled by Ivan Thomas, who had Chadwick Walton (1), Chris Gayle (3) and Jermaine Blackwood (14) back in the dressing room by the time the score reached 29.
Andre McCarthy produced a valiant 76, but the Scorpions were bowled out for 156 in 41.1 overs.
Ivan Thomas finished with figures of 4/30 while his Captain Joe Denly had 4/35.
Kent made easy work of the target thanks to 74 not out from Alex Blake as they reached 159/6 from 43.3 overs to get on the points table with their 4-wicket victory. Alex Blake was adjudged Man of the Match.
