BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Left-hander Kieran Powell stroked his fifth List A hundred and Rovman Powell responded with his third, but Leeward Islands Hurricanes snatched a 13-run victory in their decisive Super50 Cup contest to claim the last semi-final spot in Group A and deny Jamaica Scorpions here yesterday.
Sent in at Conaree Cricket Centre, Hurricanes finished on 255 for eight off their 50 overs thanks to Powell’s 105 – his second hundred of the campaign.
Left-hander Amir Jangoo struck 69 as the hosts raced ominously to 181 for one in the 35th over before losing their last seven wickets for 74 runs.
In reply, Scorpions capitulated to 25 for three in the fifth over before Powell exploded with an astonishing 106 off 40 balls to revive his side’s hopes.
But only lower order batsmen Jamie Merchant (30) and Derval Green (22) offered any support and Scorpions declined from 208 for six in the 23rd over to lose their last four wickets for 38 runs and be all out for 242 in the 29th over.
Fast bowler Quinton Boatswain finished with four for 85 while off-spinner Jason Campbell (2-34) and pacer Sheno Berridge (2-62) claimed two wickets apiece.
The result ensured Hurricanes finished on 24 points, with six wins and two defeats, to join Barbados Pride in next week’s semi-finals in Trinidad.
Scorpions, meanwhile, ended with four wins and four losses, a record which condemned them to third place on 16 points.
Entering the contest with the semi-final spot up for grabs, Hurricanes lost Montcin Hodge cheaply for 10 in the sixth over at 27 for one but recovered through a sizzling 154-run, second wicket partnership Powell and Jangoo.
Powell, already with a hundred and two half-centuries in the tournament, faced 125 balls and struck 13 fours to end the preliminary round with 464 runs at an average of 66.
He reached his fifty off 48 balls in the 13th over before bringing up three figures with a single to deep cover in the 32nd over off left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli (2-48).
Jangoo, meanwhile, counted five fours off 85 deliveries, to end a poor run of form which saw him gather a mere 104 runs in six previous innings.
Once Powell was bowled by seamer Green (2-52) in the 35th over, Hurricanes slumped badly as they lost three wickets for one run in the space of four balls to be 182 for four. And Jangoo’s departure in the 40th over further crippled the Hurricanes innings and they needed Terrance Ward’s 26 to get past 250.
West Indies fast bowler Oshane Thomas grabbed three for 59 to bow out of the tournament with an impressive haul of 17 wickets.
Scorpions then had the worst possible start to their run chase when the in-form Assad Fudadin (4) edged a wild drive at Berridge and was taken behind at the end of the second over, and Aldaine Thomas (16) followed in the fifth over, driving Boatswain to mid off.
And when Nkrumah Bonner drove the very next delivery through mid on and was brilliantly taken by a diving Colin Archibald, Scorpions were in disarray.
However, Powell counter-attacked magnificently, lashing 13 fours and seven sixes as he put on 42 for the fourth wicket with Andre McCarthy (18), 44 for the fifth wicket with Denis Smith (11) and 51 for the sixth with Green.
The Scorpions captain raced to his fifty off just 18 balls in the 11th over and needed only another 20 deliveries to raise his second century of the tournament in the 15th over. He finished with 412 runs at an average of 68.
Powell finally perished in the 15th over to a catch at the wicket off Boatswain and Scorpions quickly lost their way despite Merchant and Green’s 46-run, seventh wicket stand.
