TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Anthony Bramble’s fifty made all the difference in a low-scoring match as Guyana Harpy Eagles won their third on the bounce with a comfortable 61-run victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes Monday.
The 31-year-old struck 60 from 58 deliveries, helping to propel the new Zone B leaders to 190 all out off 43 overs, after they chose to bat first in the day/night encounter at Brian Lara Stadium here.
Left-hander Shimron Hetmyer punched 37 from 40 deliveries, Kevin Sinclair chipped in with 36 from 55 balls while left-hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul lashed 30 from 49 balls in support.
Fast bowler Justin Greaves claimed four for 39 to lead Volcanoes’ attack while left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge finished with three for nine from three overs.
In reply, Volcanoes were set back by three-wicket hauls from medium pacer Sherfane Rutherford (3-25) and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (3-31) and were bundled out for 129 off 38 overs.
Out-of-favour West Indies strokemaker Sunil Ambris top-scored with 43 from 53 deliveries while Hodge produced a painstaking 38 from 97 deliveries but Volcanoes never rose to the challenge of a modest target and lost wickets in clusters.
Bramble gave Harpy Eagles the ideal start, belting eight fours and two sixes in a 92-run opening stand with Chanderpaul who counted two fours.
Greaves removed both in the space of three balls in the 18th over leading to a slump which saw five wickets tumble for 44 runs, before Hetmyer and Sinclair propped up the innings in a 31-run, sixth wicket partnership.
Yet again, the fall of one wicket led to a slide, Hetmyer’s demise in the 36th over one of the last five wickets to go down for 22 runs. Volcanoes then had the worst possible start, openers Johnson Charles (2) and Alick Athanaze (4) perishing cheaply to catches at the wicket to leave the run chase in tatters on six for two in the second over.
Ambris, who struck five fours and Hodge, who hit just one, put on 66 for the third wicket to stabilise the innings but once Ambris was bowled by Rutherford in the 20th over, Volcanoes lost their last eight wickets for 57 runs.