KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Leeward Islands tore up the formbooks as they upset the Windward Islands by four runs yesterday, to snatch a place in the final of the WICB One-Day Championship.
Playing in the first semi-final at Sabina Park, Leewards seemed on their way out of the tournament when they were restricted to 213 all out off 49 overs, with newly installed West Indies captain Darren Sammy snaring four for 47 with his right-arm seamers.
Teenaged left-handed opener Chesney Hughes top-scored with 81 while captain Wilden Cornwall supported with 38.
Seamer Lionel Baker (2-52) then sent back in-form opener Devon Smith and West Indies one-day player Andre Fletcher in the first over of the Windwards reply, both without scoring, as the previously unbeaten side tumbled to 209 for nine off 50 overs.
Lyndon James hammered 64 from 87 balls but leg-spinner Anthony Martin (3-23) put the final nails in the Windwards’ coffin, when he bagged a hat-trick in the 45th over.
Leewards will now await the winner of today’s second semi-final between Jamaica and Barbados, which was switched to Sabina Park following fears over the heavy rainfall expected in the north-west of the island where the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium is located.
Winning the toss and batting, Leewards were given a measured start by Hughes and Montcin Hodge, who posted 44 off 57 balls for the first wicket.
While the 19-year-old Hughes stroked 81 from 105 balls with seven fours, Hodge got 19 from 28 balls before a false shot resulted in him being caught at square leg by Liam Sebastien to give Sammy his first wicket.
His loss triggered a slide that saw three wickets fall for 36 runs in the space 48 balls with Sammy capturing two more wickets, and the Leewards needed a stand of 76 from 100 balls for the fifth wicket between Hughes and Cornwall to revive the innings.
The veteran Cornwall’s 38 came from 57 balls and included four fours but he and Hughes fell in successive overs to leave the Leewards struggling at 161 for six in the 36th over.
Justin Athanaze then provided the late order fireworks with 21 from 22 balls, as Test off-spinner Shane Shillingford (2-30) and seamer Mervin Matthew (2-37) weighed in at the end.
Windwards had the worst possible start to their run chase when Smith, edged the first legal delivery of the innings to fall without scoring on his 29th birthday.
Fletcher then departed to the fifth ball of the over when he sliced a full toss behind, where wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton moved in front of first slip to snare the offering.
Opener Johnson Charles (34) and Keddy Lesporis (22) stabilised the innings with a third wicket stand of 59 off 109 balls, which brought Windwards back into the fray.
The twenty-one year-old Charles hit a single boundary off 64 balls while Lesporis, who survived two chances, faced 40 balls and struck three fours before finally being taken low down at slip by substitute Steve Liburd off off-spinner Athanaze at 60 for three in the 18th over.
Three wickets, including that of Sammy’s for 19, then fell for 25 runs as the Windwards slipped to 85 for five in the 25th over but James and Sebastien hauled their side around with an outstanding 70-run partnership.
The right-handed James hit four fours and two sixes while Sebastien supported with 24 from 47 balls, and they seemed to have put the Windwards on course for victory.
But Sebastien’s demise at 165 for six in the 44th over was followed by Martin’s electrifying hat-trick in the next over, as the West Indies A player prised out James, Shillingford and Matthew to turn the game back the Leewards’ way.
A sensible last wicket partnership 35 off 25 balls between Gary Mathurin (19 not out) and Nelon Pascal (18 not out) almost gave Windwards the miracle they required, but it proved too little too late.
