BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A rampant Jamaica side crushed Somerset by 61 runs here yesterday, defying rain and a reduction in overs to make a winning start to the second leg of the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship.
The affair was reduced to a six overs a-side following mid-afternoon showers which delayed the start by nearly three hours, and Jamaica quickly rattled up 85 for one after Somerset won the toss.
Marlon Samuels slammed am unbeaten 45 from 21 balls to lead the Jamaicans while Danza Hyatt cracked 21 from nine balls.
Somerset then capitulated spectacularly as they were restricted to a paltry 24 for eight, with pacer Krishmar Santokie and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller both finishing with two for four.
The smattering of die hard spectators who braved the rain, were treated to a display befitting a Caribbean team hungry for a title.
Samuels smashed four fours and three sixes and Hyatt pummelled two fours and a six to provide the perfect foil for his partner, as they put on 47 from 19 balls in a breezy opening partnership When Hyatt was bowled by leg-spinner Max Waller with his first ball of the game, Shawn Findlay justified his elevation in the batting order with a supporting 13 from seven balls including a towering straight six.
Any hopes of the English county side providing a semblance of a run chase, were quickly erased by incisive bowling and solid outfield catching by the Jamaicans, as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Nick Compton was dropped off pacer Jerome Taylor by Santokie at midwicket off the first ball of the innings but two balls later, Jos Buttler fell without scoring, caught by Dave Bernard Jr at mid on with just one run on the board.
James Hildreth was bowled all ends up by Santokie for one with the score on five in the second over and Craig Meschede went next, run out two balls later by Bernard without scoring. Compton’s innings ended in the safe hands of Samuels in the deep for only seven, as Somerset crashed to eight for four. Arul Suppiah tried in vain to resurrect the Somerset innings, striking one six in his brief innings of eight off five balls but he too gifted his hand to Miller as Findlay took an easy catch at mid-on.
There was to be no recovery as Jamaica increased their stranglehold on the game.
