PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Tail-ender Sheldon Cottrell smashed a brace of sixes at the death as Jamaica Scorpions escaped with a nervy two-wicket win over hapless Barbados Pride, to post their second victory of the Regional Super50 here yesterday.
With the game still very much an open contest with Scorpions tottering on 118 for eight at the start of the 33rd over in pursuit of 139 for victory, Cottrell twice cleared the ropes with debutant left-arm spinner Dane Currency, to ease the tension at Queen’s Park Oval.
Man-of-the-Match Cottrell, who ended on 16 not out and Nikita Miller, seven not out, then calmly gathered the remaining nine runs in singles to clinch victory at the end of the 38th over.
Cottrell had earlier claimed three for 18 with his left-arm pace and leg-spinner Damien Jacobs, three for 38, as Pride were bundled out for 138 off 45.5 overs after opting to bat first.
Captain Kevin Stoute hit 39 from 74 balls but wicketkeeper Mario Rampersaud was the only other batsmen to reach the 20s with exactly 20.
In-form Andre McCarthy then laid the foundation for the successful run chase with a top score of 49 from 76 balls while Antiguan Devon Thomas chipped in with 33 from 65 deliveries.
With the pair involved in a comfortable 84-run, third wicket stand and Pride seemingly out of ideas, Scorpions appeared to be romping to an easy win.
But experienced left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn turned the game on its head in a second spell which accounted for both batsmen and yielded four for 28 from 10 overs overall.
His spell triggered a slide which saw six wickets fall for just 13 runs in the space of 42 balls, to give Pride a scent of an unlikely victory.
McCarthy had struck five fours and a six – a commanding pull over mid-wicket off Currency – when he swept at Benn and top-edged a catch to Dwayne Smith running around from slip to leg slip, at 105 for three in the 25th over.
In his next over, Benn had Tamar Lambert caught at slip by Smith for nought, driving, and in his following over, he removed Thomas caught at the wicket.
Wickets continued to tumble until Cottrell arrived to strike two key blows and rescue the innings.
Pride had earlier shown little enterprise, losing Kyle Corbin without scoring and Smith for one, to slump to nine for two in the fourth over.
When Shamarh Brooks was drawn from his crease by left-arm spinner Miller and smartly stumped for 19, Pride were 36 for three in the 15th over.
Stoute and left-hander Jonathan Carter, who made 18, put on 44 for the fourth wicket to steady the innings but it was slow going and Pride were crawling at 80 for three nearing the half-way mark.
Attempting to up the tempo, Carter holed out to long on off off-spinner John Campbell and four balls later in the same over, Stoute missed a sweep and was adjudged lbw.
He hit two fours and a six and his dismissal signalled the death knell for the innings as Pride’s last five wickets fell for 52 runs, with Cottrell doing most of the damage.
