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Regional Super50 cricket…Jamaica squeeze into final with thrilling one-wicket win against HPC
By Sean Devers
With three runs required to win from two balls and nine wickets down, Odean Browne clobbered fellow
Krishmar Santokie
Jamaican Nkruma Bonner for a straight four to give Jamaica a thrilling one-wicket victory against the Sagicor HPC side in their Regional Super50 semi-final clash at Providence last night.
Set 177 to win after HPC were restricted to 176-9 off 50 overs in the low scoring but highly competitive encounter, Jamaica finished on 178-9 off 49.5 overs to book a place in their first final since 2007 when they last won the title in Barbados.
Guyanese left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul top scored with an unbeaten 39 and shared in an important 62-run eighth wicket stand with Keron Cottoy (34) after HPC, who elected to bat first on a slow track in overcast conditions, lost four wickets for 12 runs to slip to 84-7.
Krishmar Santokie, the leading pacer in the competition with nine scalps had rocked the HPC top order by removing Guyanese Rajendra Chandrika (2), Kyle Corbin (13) and Bonner (1) to leave the Barbados based side which won all six of their games on their recent tour to Dubai, in early trouble on 23-3.
Devon Thomas (33) and Skipper Shamarh Brooks (20) tried to repair the damage with a 49-run partnership before the handful of spectators saw Thomas stumped off left-arm spinner Nikita Miller at 73-3. Santokie had 3-42 while Miller (2-25) and Browne (2-41) supported well for Jamaica who will face Trinidad and Tobago in tomorrow’s Day/Night final at providence.
Many teams in the recent past have depended on the pugnacious Chris Gayle to lead them to victory with the bat and when he fails his teammates often fail to lend the necessary support.
Last night, under bright lights at Providence, Gayle, the only batsman with 200 runs and the competition’s biggest star failed to shine, edging Guyanese Test pacer Brandon Bess to slip after managing six at 18-1.
When Permaul removed Kennar Lewis (17) at 44-2 and Xavier Marshal (20) was bowled by pacer Shannon Gabriel, Jamaica were 61-3 and struggling to get the ball away. Rookie Jermaine Blackwood offered fight with 31 and added 59 with former Captain Tamar Lambert (21) before they both fell in the space of a run to leave Jamaica, hunting their sixth title, on 104-5.
Shawn Findlay hit a four and a six in his cameo 21 before he fell to Jason Holder and Andre Russell stroked 13 off the 46th over from Gabriel before he was leg before to Permaul at 164-8 with the game on a knife’s edge.
Jermaine Blackwood
When Miller (9) lost his head and his wicket, stumped off Bonner at 164-9 the HPC fans were scenting a historic victory and a place in the final in only their second competition.
However, after some tight deliveries that increased the required run rate and the blood pressure of the Jamaicans, Browne swatted Bonner back over his head to end the game in sensational fashion as HPC lost but was not disgraced.
Holder finished with 3-45 and Permaul, who bowled 12 overs, 2-34 for HPC who looked a fit, unified bunch of talented young players, raising hope for the future of West Indies cricket at a time when the senior team is failing to make an impression on the international stage.
Jamaica’s win provided the Skeldon Cricket Club with another $100,000 to take them past the $600,000 mark with one match to go while West Demerara Club McGill, who are twined with T&T also have another chance of increasing their bank account in tomorrow’s final.
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