Marooners humble Jaguars to lift Super 50 title

– Corbin smacks impressive half-century

The CCC Marooners have handed the Guyana Jaguars a humiliating defeat in the 2018-2019 Regional Super 50 Final played at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Sunday.
They won by six wickets as their fast bowlers and opening batsmen dominated the Guyana Jaguars.
It was the clash of the 2018-2019 Super 50 giants, and Barbados-based Guyanese came out in their numbers to support the Jaguars, while University of the West Indies (UWI) students filled the Kensington Oval stands in a show of support for their University colleagues, the CCC Marooners.
Marooners won the toss and elected to field first, while the new look Jaguars opening pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Trevon Griffith had a watchful start, with Griffith being the aggressor for a brief moment, until he was removed with the score on 27 by Marooners semifinal hero Akeem Jordan in the seventh over. Griffith went for a breezy 20 from 22 deliveries, including three fours and one massive six.
Jaguars’ captain Leon Johnson joined Tagenarine Chanderpaul, and the pair added only 24 runs for the second wicket partnership. The young Chanderpaul continued to hold the innings together, but lost his skipper in the 13th over with the score on 51. Johnson was removed by his counterpart Carlos Braithwaite for 14 runs, which included three trademark boundaries.
Marooners bowlers continued to have a good tournament, picking up wickets at regular intervals.
All-rounder Christopher Barnwell joined Chanderpaul in the 13th over, and the pair batted until the 23rd over, when Barnwell was caught by Kirton off the bowling of Keron Cottoy for 15.
The dependable Raymond Reifer then occupied the crease with the aim of rebuilding the innings, since the Jaguars were on 88-3 after 23 overs. However, Carlos Braithwaite and his bowlers had other plans, as they prevented the Jaguars from scoring briskly.
Though Tagenarine Chanderpaul still occupied the crease, he did not put pressure on the Marooners, opting instead to soak up 59 dot deliveries in scoring 56 from 95 balls, which included 4 boundaries, 3 of which were scored square of the wicket. The young tiger was, however, removed by Carlos Braithwaite in the 32nd over.
Reifer continued to be the glue of the innings, but struggled to score boundaries frequently, managing 38, with his only boundary being one maximum.
The big-hitting Rutherford, batting at number 6, struggled his way to 14.
Jamaica-born fast bowler Jermaine Levy wreaked havoc on the middle-lower order, picking up 4 of the last 5 Jaguars wickets. Levy grabbed his third 4-wicket haul in List A cricket by picking up Rutherford, Bramble, Shepherd, Permaul and Pestano.
The final 6 Jaguars batsmen scored 47 runs combined, as Jordan removed Pestano to end a shocking batting performance from the Jaguars, in which they were shunted aside for 204 runs all out in 49.1 overs.
The Marooners fast bowlers destroyed the Jaguars line-up as they shared nine wickets between themselves. Levy was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets, Braithwaite grabbed 3 wickets, and Akeem Jordan snatched 2 wickets.
With only 205 required for victory in the Super 50 finals, Marooners openers approached the task in swashbuckling mode; and the right-handed Kyle Corbin immediately made the Jaguars bowlers feel the heat as the Marooners raced to 100 in only the 15th over.
In Raymond Reifer’s first spell, he was taken to the cleaners as Corbin showed some serious intent. The openers went on their merry way, Corbin in the process reaching his half century.
The Jaguars tasted success for the first time with the ball when they removed the aggressive Kyle Corbin, who had stroked a counterattacking 72 off 53 deliveries. Corbin’s innings was laced with 12 timely fours and 2 maximums, which he danced down the track to pump over the head of Shepherd.
The Regional Super 50 tournament this year has been a revelation: Kjorn Ottley has been the Marooners’ leading batsman, compiling 45 runs from 84 balls on this important occasion.
Jaguars started a fight back in the latter part of the innings, as Amir Jangoo and Jonathan Drakes scored 12 and 16 respectively; but Captain Carlos Braithwaite, at number 5, ensured there were no more hiccups. Braithwaite played a responsible innings, scoring 30 from 25 balls, including four boundaries and one humongous six.
Romario Shepherd picked up two wickets, while Ramaal Lewis and Clinton Pestano took one wicket each.
The poor Jaguar was put out of its misery when Nicholas Kirton, rubbing salt in the wounds, stroked a boundary to complete a stunning CCC Marooners victory in the 2018-2019 Super 50 finals over the Guyana Jaguars. (Brandon Corlette)