(CWI) BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Aggressive bowling, led by Quinton Boatswain and Colin Archibald, helped Leeward Islands Hurricanes formalise an important win over Canada in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup yesterday.
Entering the day/night contest at Warner Park needing a win to enhance their claims of finishing in one of the top two spots in Group A and qualify for the semi-finals, the Hurricanes bowlers delivered a strong performance, after their batsmen again failed to ease concerns about their stability.
Boatswain was the main enforcer, unsettling several of the Canadian batsman with pace and bounce, and he grabbed 3-37 from his allotted 10 overs to earn the Player of the Match award. Archibald supported with 3-36 from eight overs and completed a fine all-round performance.
The visitors, chasing 233 to win, were bowled out for 183 in 44 overs to give the Hurricanes their second successive win and fifth overall in the tournament taking them to 20 points, and setting up a decisive final group game against Jamaica Scorpions on Sunday at the Conaree Cricket Centre.
There was no stability from the Canada batting. A few small stands sprinkled the innings and only three batsmen passed 20 – Rayyankhan Pathan hit the top score of 44 to complete a memorable all-round day, Harsh Thaker made 40 and Kanwar Mann was not out on 25.
Devon Thomas had propped up the Hurricanes batting earlier with a run-ball 53 that included four boundaries, after the hosts chose to bat.
Several other batsmen got starts without carrying on – Montcin Hodge got 34, Archibald was not out on 32, Amir Jangoo gathered 26, Terance Warde hit 25 and Akeem Saunders added 22.
Pathan was the pick of the Canadian bowlers, taking 4-53 from 10 overs, and Shahid Ahamadzai snared 3-46 from his 10 overs.
The Hurricanes made a rapid start, but soon ran into trouble on 86 for four before Thomas anchored two significant partnerships that added beef to the total. He put on 51 for the fifth wicket with Saunders and 44 for the sixth wicket with Warde.
The home team lost three wickets for nine in the space of 19 balls and stumbled to 190 for eight in the 45th over before Archibald and Boatswain extended the innings with a stand of 34 for the ninth wicket.
