(CMC) – Teddy Bishop agonisingly missed out on a hundred while Matthew Nandu and Leonardo Julien also notched half-centuries, as West Indies Academy stormed to a 29-run victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges to open their Regional Super50 Cup campaign on a high note yesterday.
The 20-year-old Bishop was left stranded on 95 not out off 75 deliveries, a knock which fired the Academy to 318 for eight off their 50 overs – the second highest List A score at the Brian Lara Stadium and only the third 300-plus List A total at the venue.
Opener Matthew Nandu sparkled with 84 from 92 deliveries while Leonardo Julien chipped in with 51 from 67 balls, before captain Nyeem Young’s 14-ball 24 towards end pushed the total past the 300-run mark.
In reply, CCC made a fist of it courtesy of a splendid 82 off 65 balls from opener Johann Jeremiah, and a more sedate 52 from 74 balls from Shaqkere Parris.
However, once Jeremiah was run out in a catastrophic mix-up with Parris in the 22nd over, the chase lost its way somewhat, and CCC tumbled to 289 all out with an over remaining.
Akshaya Persad (28) and Shatrughan Rambaran (26) produced a rearguard effort in a daring 59-run, seventh wicket stand, but not even that could salvage the game.
“I think it was a pretty good effort from us. We didn’t get over the line in the end but the way we started with the bat was tremendous. I think Jeremiah was outstanding,” said CCC captain Shane Dowrich.
“I think there was a crucial moment where the run out happened between Parris and Jeremiah and that kind of shifted momentum in their favour a bit.
“We had a little lull in the middle where we weren’t rotating the strike and we built a bit of pressure on ourselves.”
Asked to bat, WI Academy lost Kimani Melius for 13 in the sixth over at 17 for one but three successive outstanding partnerships involving the half-century makers provided the innings with crucial momentum.
Twenty-year-old left-hander Nandu was exhilarating, lashing seven fours and a six, and combining in a 93-run, second wicket stand with the 22-year-old Julien who counted three fours and two sixes.
When Julien was run out at the start of the 25th over, Bishop arrived to further turn the screws on CCC, punching 14 fours and a six as he added 110 for the third wicket with Nandu, 47 for the fourth with Kevin Wickham (19) and 35 for the seventh with Young.
“Teddy was very impressive – that’s why he was Man-of-the-Match really,” Young said.
“Scoring at that rate in the middle, especially in the Caribbean, is quite hard and he did it today, which is very impressive.
“Matthew Nandu was very, very good also – batting deep in the innings for such a young man and taking us all the way down to that stage where we were able to press on.”
Needing to score at just under 6-½ runs per over, CCC lost Kadeem Alleyne cheaply for ten in the fourth over with 20 on the board but Jeremiah quickly put them back on course with a special innings.
He struck a dozen fours and two sixes, and raced to his fifty off 35 balls, bringing up the landmark by clearing the ropes at mid-wicket with left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd in the 11th over.
Crucially, he put on 120 for the second wicket with Parris who struck half-dozen fours, CCC coasting to 140 for one in the 22nd over.
Once Jeremiah and Parris found themselves at the non-striker’s end in a horrific mix-up over a second run, CCC lost four wickets for 48 runs and WI Academy took full control of the contest.