GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Half-centuries from West Indies batsmen Andre Fletcher and Devon Smith powered Windward Islands to an exciting one-wicket victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges in the opening round of the Regional Super50 here yesterday.
Fletcher stroked 67 while the left-handed Smith carved out 54 as the Windwards, chasing a target of 208, got home in the 47th over but not without some drama at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium.
Rollicking along at 135 for two in the 28th over, the Windwards suddenly lost seven wickets for 51 runs as spinners Akeem Dewar (3-23) Derone Davis (2-42) ripped apart the innings.
Tottering at 186 for nine in the 43rd over, the Windwards were then forced to rely on the wiles of Delorn Johnson (13 not out) and Nelon Pascal (7), in a nervous unbroken 25-run, last wicket stand to snatch victory.
Johnson finished the match emphatically, slamming Davis over long-on for six.
Earlier, Raymon Reifer top scored with 60 and attacking opener Chadwick Walton smashed 56, to get CCC up to 207 all out off their 50 overs.
Nekoli Parris weighed in with 32 while out-of-favour West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford picked up four for 39 from his ten overs and fast bowler Johnson, two for 24 from seven overs.
Scoreboard
CCC
+C Walton c Sebastien b Pascal 56
S Thomas c wkp James b Johnson 0
N Alexis c wkp James b Pascal 6
*K Corbin run out 11
R Reifer run out 60
N Parris c Smith b Shillingford 32
F Reifer c Johnson b Shillingford 10
A Dewar c Smith b Shillingford 0
K McClean c Fletcher b Shillingford 1
D Davis c Peters b Johnson 18
R Austin not out 1
Extras (b2, lb2, w6, nb2) 12
TOTAL (all out, 50 overs) 207
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-62, 3-77, 4-78, 5-137, 6-164, 7-165, 8-171, 9-206, 10-207
Bowling: Pascal 8-1-40-2, Johnson 7-0-24-2, Peters 5-1-29-0, Mathurin 5-1-46-0, Sebastien 10-1-25-0, Shillingford 10-1-39-4
WINDWARDS
D Smith c McClean b R Reifer 54
M Bascombe c Thomas b McClean 2
A Fletcher c wkp Walton b Dewar 67
K Lesporis c Corbin b McClean 10
+L James c Austin b Dewar 7
G Mathurin lbw b Dewar 1
S Shillingford b Davis 21
*L Sebastien run out R Reifer 10
D Johnson not out 13
K Peters lbw b Davis 0
N Pascal not out 7
Extras (lb5, w11, nb3) 19
TOTAL (9 wkts, 46.4 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-112, 3-135, 4-143, 5-153, 6-163, 7-185, 8-186, 9-186.
Bowling: McClean 9-0-42-2, Parris 5-1-22-0, Davis 9.4-0-42-2, Austin 3-0-31-0, R Reifer 10-0-46-1, Dewar 10-0-23-3.
Result: Windwards won by one wicket.
Points: Windwards 4, CCC 0.
Toss: Windwards.
Umpires: Nigel Duguid, Zahid Bassarath.