FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, CMC – West Indies all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall slammed a half-century but the effort was in vain as the Bermudian pair of Delray Rawlins and Kamau Leverock shone with bat and ball to guide Florida Scorpions to a 19-run win over Samp Army and into the semi-finals of the US Open Cricket T20 tournament.
In pursuit of 148 in a game reduced to 10 overs a side because of rain at the Central Broward Regional Park ground here Sunday, Man-of-the-Match Cornwall gave Samp Army a flying start, smashing nine sixes and a four in his 18-ball 62.
Cornwall, 28, is fresh from the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka which finished earlier this month in heavy defeats for the Caribbean side.
South African wicketkeeper Andries Gous made 39 from 19 balls, but Samp Army fell short at 128 for nine, with seamer Leverock finishing with two for nine and left-arm slow bowler Rawlins snaring two for 21.
Scottish internationals Hamza Tahir and Safyaan Sharif also picked up two wickets apiece.
Inserted earlier, Group B winners Scorpions scored 147 for three from their 10 overs, led by Sussex left-hander Rawlins’ 44 not out from 19 balls, which included five fours and a six.
Leverock hammered 33 from 16 balls with three sixes and a four and John Simpson, the Middlesex and England wicketkeeper-batsman, added 37 from 13 balls with four sixes and three fours.
Former West Indies Under-19 off-spinning all-rounder, Bhaskar Yadram, who has played first class cricket for Windward Islands, bore the brunt of the Scorpions’ onslaught, his one over costing 25 runs, while fellow Guyanese Christopher Barnwell, a medium pacer, saw his one over go for 15.
Indian left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh was the pick of Samp Army attack, claiming three for 29.
Scorpions faced Group A runners-up US All Stars in yesterday’s first semi-final while Group A winners Cavaliers 22 Yards took on Group B runners-up Clarion County Eagles in the second match.
