Leewards beat Winwards by 4 runs; advance to final

Oct 22, 2010 Sports

By Sean Devers in Jamaica
Spearheaded by 81 from Chesney Hughes and a hat-trick from leg-spinner Anthony Martin, the Leeward Islands beat the Windward Islands by four runs at Sabina Park yesterday in the first semi-final of the Regional One-Day cricket tournament in Jamaica to qualify for their first regional final in a decade.
Hughes began cautiously and played several impetuous shots early in his 105-ball innings before settling down to add 76 with Skipper Wilden Cornwall (38) for the fourth wicket as the Leewards, who last reached the final when they lost the Windwards in Jamaica in 2000, were bowled out in 49 overs for 213.
Martin (3-23 from 10 overs) then removed top scorer Lyndon James, who made a solid 87-ball 64, at 174-7 before getting rid of Shane Shillingford (0) and Mervin Matthew (0) with his next two balls as the Windward’s could only reach 209-9 when their 50 overs expired after needing 11 from the final over.
The Leewards won the toss in hazy sunshine and Monchin Hodge (19) and Hughes added 44 for the first wicket before new West Indies Skipper Daren Sammy, who finished with 4-47, removed Hodge.
The St Lucian Sammy struck twice in quick succession by removing Gavin Williams (0) and Banks (0) as the Leewards, with 6 titles at this level, slipped to 80-4.
Hughes and Cornwall took the score to 156 with a fighting 76-run partnership before Test off-spinner Shane Shillingford trapped Hughes leg before to ensure the Leewards did not post a big total on the slow outfield.
Justin Athanaze (21) and Lionel Baker (9) added 26 for the 9th wicket before Mervin Matthew (2-37) finished off the innings in two balls. Shillingford had 2-30.
The Windwards who beat Guyana in the 1989 final and the Leewards here 10 years ago for their only two titles before losing to T&T in the 2007 final in St Vincent, began disastrously when re-called Test left-hander Devon Smith and West Indies ODI player Andre Fletcher were both sent packing in the first over for duck by the lively Baker to leave the score on 1-2.
Johnson Charles (33) and Keddy Lesporis (22) revived the position by taking the score to 60 before Lesporis fell to Athanaze and one run later Charles was run out as the Windwards slipped to 61-4.
Sammy made 19 before hitting a full toss from Jacques Taylor to long-on; Liam Sebastien made 24 before he was removed by Cornwall at 165-6 to put the Leewards on top.
After Martin’s hat trick sunk the Windwards to 174-9 the last pair of Gary Mathurin (19*) and Pascal (18*) kept victory hopes alive before they fell four short in the final over.
Today’s second semi-final will see Barbados face Jamaica at Sabina Park after the game was switched from the Trelawny Stadium due to the forecast of a tropical storm in that part of Jamaica today.
The change was made after an assessment of the weather forecast of torrential rain and flood conditions as a result of Tropical Storm Richard which is expected to affect the north western part of Jamaica where Trelawny is located.
The decision was taken after consultation between the WICB and the Jamaica Cricket Association.
It is expected that there will be rain in Kingston today but based on weather forecasts there is a greater likelihood of play in Kingston than Trelawny. The final is also scheduled for Sabina Park on Sunday.
If the game is rained out Barbados will qualify to meet the Leewards on Sunday after topping their zone in the preliminary rounds.

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