PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Their batting, led by Demario Richards, set them up, and their bowling, led by Romario Greaves, formalised a comfortable, 121-run win for Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners against Jamaica Scorpions in the West Indies Super50 Cup yesterday in Trinidad.
Greaves bagged four for 51 from his allotted 10 overs, and the Scorpions were bowled out for 198 in 32.4 overs, replying to the Marooners’ 320 for seven, in the 16th match of the tournament that was reduced to 48 overs-a-side because of rain at Queen’s Park Oval.
Chadwick Walton led the way for the Scorpions with an even 50, Odean Smith made 35, Brad Barnes got 31, and Jermaine Blackwood made 22, but the batting of their side again failed to fire, and the defending champions slumped to their fourth successive loss.
Part-time off-spinner Akshaya Persaud took two for 25 from four overs to assist with the demolition, fellow Guyanese, pacer Isai Thorne grabbed two for 35 from 5.4 overs, and leg-spinner Abhijai Mansingh captured two for 55 from nine overs to hand the Marooners their second win in five matches.
Solid batting down the order, led by Richards, Jeremiah, and Alleyne, had enabled the Marooners to post the highest total of the tournament so far and revive their chances of a top four finish, and a place in the semi-finals.
Left-hander Richards struck seven fours and two sixes in 71 from 82 balls, and built upon a solid opening stand of 73 inside the Power Play from left-hander Jeremiah, who made 56, and Alleyne, with 51, that earned the Marooners bonus batting points.
Walton and Blackwood then shared 42 for the first wicket, and helped Scorpions reach 73 for one after the first Power Play to earn a batting bonus point, but things went all downhill from there, and they staring defeat square in the face when they stumbled to 123 for six at the halfway stage of their innings.
Thorne made the breakthrough when he bowled Blackwood in the fifth over, and Walton struck eight fours and one six from 35 balls to give the Scorpions strong early momentum before he was one of four wickets – three to Greaves – that fell before they reached 100.
Greaves bowled Walton, got Nkrumah Bonner caught behind for a second-ball duck, and Scorpions captain Rovman Powell caught at deep mid-wicket for two in the space of five balls in his fourth over – the 14th of the innings.
Three overs later, Mansingh bowled left-hander Kirk McKenzie for 18 before he got Jeavor Royal caught by the wicketkeeper at silly point for six from a top-edged sweep, and the Scorpions were in tatters on 108 for six in the 21st over. Smith came to the crease and pummelled five sixes off 20 balls, and he shared 47 for the seventh wicket with Barnes to bring some respectability to the innings before he was caught at long-on in the 26th over, and the match was no longer a genuine contest.
Earlier, Alleyne slammed six fours and three sixes from 30 balls and he was main aggressor in the opening partnership before he was caught at point off the left-arm spin of Fabian Allen in the final over of the first Power Play that ended with Marooners 78 for one.
Jeremiah smote nine fours and one six from 50 balls and dominated a second wicket stand of 56 with Shatrughan Rambaran before they were dismissed in successive overs, and the Marooners stumbled to 132 for three in the 17th over.
Richards anchored successive stands of 71 with his captain Shane Dowrich and 79 with Jordan Johnson that further deflated the Scorpions, but he was one of three wickets – two to Smith – that the Marooners lost for 73 in the final Power Play.
Johnson made 41 and Dowrich scored 32, and Smith was the pick of the Scorpions bowlers, ending with three for 28 from eight overs.
The tournament continues on Saturday when hosts and leaders Trinidad & Tobago Red Force meet West Indies Academy at 9 a.m. at the same venue.
