NORTH SOUND, Antigua – Left-arm spinners Dennis Bulli and Jeavor Royal combined to demolish the Pride of Barbados and lay the foundation for Jamaica Scorpions’ comfortable five-run victory in the Super50 Cup on Tuesday night.
Electing to bat first in the Zone B day/night affair at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, the Pride were smashed for 176 in the 46th over, with Bulli (3-31) and Royal (3-33) claiming a haul with three wickets.
The Pride lacked consistency throughout their spell and only captain Shai Hope with 49 off 65 deliveries showed any enterprise, leaving them winless in their last three matches.
In contrast, West Indies opener Brandon King hit a patient 41 off 83 deliveries to power home the run in the 46th over, Chadwick Walton scored 37 off 65 deliveries and Andre McCarthy, 31 off 48 balls.
Left-arm spinner Camarie Boyce (2-27) grabbed two wickets towards the end to take some of the shine off the Scorpions’ effort, but victory was never in doubt.
The Scorpions are second on eight points behind leaders Leeward Islands Hurricanes (10), with Pride third on eight and West Indies Academy last on four.
The Pride, depleted by the loss of their Test players for the looming tour of Australia, were in early trouble when Kyle Hope (2) and Zachary McCaskie (10) departed cheaply to leave the innings stuttering at 16 for two in the seventh inning.
The innings then benefited from two key stands. First, Hope posted 38 for the third wicket with veteran left-hander Jonathan Carter (2), which stemmed the flow of wickets.
Hope, who hit two fours and two sixes, was one of six wickets to fall for 85 runs as Pride slumped to 139 for eight in the 37th over, Bulli and Royal scything through the middle and lower order.
However, Akeem Jordan (21) and Jomel Warrican (15) backed the tail in a 36-run ninth partnership that added precious runs for the Pride, before Pete Salmon (2-17) bowled both at the same time . tall.
In reply, the Scorpions put paid to any thoughts of a Pride comeback, courtesy of a 91-run opening stand between King and Walton – the latter appearing in his first match of the tournament.
Both batsmen hit four fours before departing within 16 balls of each other with a single run added to leave the run at 92 for two in the 26th over. And when Alwyn Williams (10) followed in the 31st over, the Scorpions were stumbling somewhat.
McCarthy, who hit three fours, calmed any simmering fears by anchoring a 33-run fourth stand with captain Rovman Powell (17) seeing off the Pride’s threat.
Meanwhile, in further Super50 action today, Trinidad and Tobago captain Nicholas Pooran finally enjoyed form in collecting his first half-century of the campaign as he helped his side to a six-wicket win over the Guyana Harpy Eagles in Queen’s Park Oval. in Port of Spain.
The left-hander, who oversaw West Indies’ disastrous Twenty20 World Cup campaign in Australia last month and has struggled for results since returning, hit an unbeaten 56 off 47 deliveries which saw the Red Force overhaul a modest 183.
He was joined by 25-year-old rookie Jyd Goolie, who hit an unbeaten 58, as the pair put on 95 in an unbroken sixth stand.
After calling correctly earlier and electing to bowl, the Red Force restricted the Harpy Eagles to 182 in the 46th over, leg-spinner Yannic Cariah claiming three for 34 and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel (2-25) and arm-spinner left Akeal Hosein (2- 52) smashed with a brace each.
Not for the first time, the Harpy Eagles were let down by their top order and called for another bailout from all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who hit a classy 56 off 50 balls in the eight-fifty second his in four ranks – to collect the ranks. .
Number 10 Gudakesh Motie also contributed, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 47 deliveries to follow starts by Tevin Imlach (34) and Kemol Savory (32) in the top order.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein dropped Anthony Bramble cheaply for one on three after being handed the new ball before Savory and Imlach breathed fresh life into the innings with a 59-run second stand.
Set comfortably at 62 for one, the Harpy Eagles suffered a stunning collapse to lose six wickets for 15 runs and found themselves suddenly reeling at 77 for 7 in the 26th over.
Shepherd arrived to launch a counter-attack, hitting four fours and three sixes to add 20 for the eighth wicket with Veerasammy Permaul (5) and a crucial 79 for the ninth with Motie tallying three fours and a six.
In reply, the Red Force got 27 from in-form opener Kyrn Ottley and 25 from Jason Mohammed, but the innings lacked real partnerships and was reeling at 88 for four at the end of the 20th over.
The revival came through left-hander Goolie who hit two fours and five sixes and Pooran, who hit four and five sixes, to erase any hope the Harpy Eagles had of further progress. (CMC)
Read our email. Quickly. Factual. Free.
Sign up and stay up to date with Barbados’ free latest news.
