ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad, CMC – An impressive maiden List A hundred from their captain Shane Dowrich steered Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners to a thrilling two-wicket win against Windward Islands Volcanoes off the last ball in the West Indies Super50 Cup yesterday in Trinidad.
The discarded West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman struck only three fours and three sixes in an undefeated 102 off 101 balls, and the Marooners successfully chased 268 at Frank Worrell Field to clinch their first win of this year’s tournament.
Dowrich, who has played 35 Tests, but only a single One-day International for West Indies, anchored three vital half-centuries that kept the Marooners in the hunt for the win after he arrived with his side on 66 for two in the 16th over.
He put on 74 with fellow Barbadian, opener Kadeem Alleyne for the third wicket, shared 63 for the fifth wicket with Jordan Johnson, and swung the match decisively in an eighth wicket stand of 57 with another Barbadian, Romario Greaves.
Alleyne hit four fours and three sixes in 68 off 75 balls, Johnson added a run-a-ball 34, and Greaves made 14 before he was run out off the penultimate ball of the match with the Marooners needing only four to win.
Jediah Blades formalised the result when he glanced a delivery from imported Barbadian all-rounder Shamar Springer to the fine leg boundary for four to condemn the Volcanoes to their third consecutive loss.
Pacer Darel Cyrus was the pick of the Volcanoes bowlers with four for 54 from 10 overs, triggering a Marooners middle-order collapse, and left-arm spinner Larry Edward supported with two for 65 from 10 overs.
The Marooners got a bright start when Alleyne and fellow opener Johann Jeremiah carried them to 51 without loss at the end of the first Power Play.
Jeremiah was caught at deep square leg off Springer for 30 in the 11th over, and Cyrus bowled Shaqkere Parris for nine in the 16th over to bring Dowrich to the crease.
The 31-year-old anchored the Marooners batting the rest of the way, defying the destructive spell from Cyrus, and the middle-order collapse in which his side lost Alleyne, Akshaya Persaud, and Shatrughan Rambaran for no runs – all in the 29th over – the seventh for Cyrus.
Jordan came to the wicket and revived the chances of the Marooners with Dowrich before he was hit wicket to Edward in the 39th over, and when Abhijai Mansingh was caught at long-on off Edward for four in the 43rd over, the composite side still needed 58 to win from 45 balls.
Greaves held his nerve in the closing stages and got the Marooners close before he was dismissed trying to get a single to give Dowrich the strike and the responsibility of trying to hit the winning runs – but it all worked out.
Earlier, half-centuries from Alick Athanaze, Trinidadian Jeremy Solozano, and Sunil Ambris were the rocks upon which the Volcanoes built their total of 267 for eight after they were put in to bat.
Athanaze hit four fours and three sixes in the top score of 65 from 68 balls, Solozano supported with a resolute 55 from 81 balls, and Ambris made a run-a-ball 52.
Athanaze and Solozano added 87 for the second wicket after the early loss of Johnson Charles for four, and Ambris supported their captain Andre Fletcher in a fifth-wicket stand of 63.
The Volcanoes laboured through the last 10 overs, gathering only 52 and lost four wickets to undermine their effort to post a more significant target.
Mansingh, Guyanese pacer Isai Thorne, and left-arm pacer Blades all captured two wickets for the Marooners.
The tournament continues today with two matches starting at 9 a.m. when Guyana Harpy Eagles face Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Queen’s Park Oval and Barbados Pride meet West Indies Academy at Frank Worrell Field.