TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Windward Islands Volcanoes wrapped up a disappointing Super50 Cup campaign on a high note when they beat United States by 12 runs here Saturday night.
Choosing to bat at the Brian Lara Stadium, Volcanoes rallied to 264 all out with four balls left in the innings with veteran opener Devon Smith getting 45, Alick Athanaze scoring 40 and Keron Cottoy chipping in with 35.
Fast bowler Rusty Theron (3-48) and left-arm seamer Saurabh Netravalkar (3-60) both finished with three wickets apiece as Volcanoes slipped from a strong position of 170 for three in the 35th over to lose their last seven wickets for 94 runs.
In reply, United States got a top score of 71 from former West Indies star Xavier Marshall but other than for Aaron Jones with 37, the batting group failed to show any enterprise and they came up short in the 46th over.
Cottoy completed a strong all-round display when he picked up three for 38 with his leg spin while left-arm spinners Larry Edward (2-46) and Kavem Hodge (2-50), along with speedster Shermon Lewis (2-43), all finished with three wickets each.
The result was of academic importance only as both teams were already out of the running for semi-final places. For Volcanoes, the win was only their second in eight games and it saw them finish on 10 points while United States lost for the sixth time in seven outings to end bottom of Group B.
Left-hander Smith, who struck seven fours in a 50-ball knock, put on 68 off 64 balls for the first wicket with Desron Maloney whose 31 came from 30 balls included five fours and a six.
When both fell in a three-wicket slide for 50 runs, Athanaze and Cottoy anchored half-century stands to help the innings recover. First, Athanaze posted 52 for the fourth wicket with Emmanuel Stewart (29) before Cottoy put on a further 62 for the seventh wicket with Ryan John who made 28.
The US were then languishing at 19 for two in the fourth over before Marshall and Jones combined in an 82-run stand third wicket stand to halt the slide.
Marshall faced 94 deliveries and counted three fours and four sixes while Jones supported with four fours in a 62-ball innings.
Jones’s departure in the 23rd over signalled the start of the US decline, however, and late efforts from Theron (29) and Karima Gore (23) went in vain.