Regional Super50 Festival McCarthy’s ton subjects Jaguars to its first defeat as Scorpions win by 46-runs

Feb 09, 2018 Sports

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Story and photos by Sean Devers in Antigua in association with Vnet Communications, Bounty Farm, Noble House Seafoods & Playter’s Enterprise

A well-constructed 105 form 104 balls (5×4, 4×6) from Man-of-the-Match Andrew McCarthy led Jamaica Scorpions to 46-run win against Guyana Jaguars on the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern System last night at Coolidge Cricket Ground when the first half of Zone ‘B’ of the Regional Super50 concluded.
McCarthy set up Scorpions for massive total before Kemo Paul (3-46) and Romario Shepherd (3-67) orchestrated a collapse with the Scorpions crumbling from 228-4 to 264-9 when their 50 overs expired.
McCarthy dominated a 110-run fifth wicket stand with Fabien Allen who made a carefully constructed unbeaten 47 from 62 balls (3×4, 1×6). Chadwick Walton contributed a 53-ball 33 (4×4, 1×6) at the top of the order while Rovman Powell’s 34 lasted 53 balls with five boundaries.
Set a second revised target of 215 from 34overs on the Duckworth/ Lewis & Stern System after 16 overs were lost to rain, the Jaguars were bowled out for 164 in 30.1 overs with only Shimron Hetmyer who hit three fours and two sixes in 40, passing 20.
Nikita Miller (4-22) was the best bowler for the Scorpions who moved nine points. Guyana who are still in the lead, remains on 13 points while Kent beat USA to go to 12 points level while Hurricanes are level with Scorpions on nine.
The scorpions won the toss and elected to bat in sweltering heat on a spin-friendly track and small ground and quickly lost Steven Taylor who edged Paul to Keeper Anthony Bramble without a run on the board.
Walton and Powell joined forces and Powell hammered Paul back over his head for four while Walton clobbered Shepherd for six over long-off and pulled for four off consecutive balls. Aggressive batting saw the 50 posted in 8.4 overs as the batsmen went after Shepherd whose first four overs cost 28 runs.
Walton was trapped LBW to Rutherford at 60-2 while Powell was stumped as he missed a big drive off left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul 97-3. McCarthy who reached his 50 from 66 balls (3×4, 2×6) swept leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo for six before Brandon King (6) was LBW to Bishoo at 118-4 to set the stage for a wonderful fifth wicket partnership between McCarthy and Allen.
While Allen struggled to get the ball away, McCarthy was in full flow, sweeping part time left-arm spinner Chanderpaul Hemraj for four and lofting him for six. But Hemraj bowled a tidy spell and kept the batsmen, especially Allen in shackles but McCarthy continued to play his shots and was watched by fair size crowd which was kept entertained by Soca, Dance Hall and Chutney music in cold wind.
McCarthy reached his ton from 98 balls with five fours and four sixes before he was bowled by Paul at 228-5. Allen tried to go after the bowling with little success. When the big hitting Andre Russell, who thumped two four and a mighty straight six off Paul, was taken off Shepherd for 15 at 252-6, Paul and Shepherd, bowling straight and full, polished off the tail by taking the last five wickets for just 12 runs.
Chasing 265to win, Chanderpaul Hemraj (17) hit three fours in the same over from left-arm spinner Christopher Lamont before a crunching cut off Russell was well taken by Odean Smith at point at 19-1.
Shiv Chanderpaul (3) and Shimron Hetmyer (1) were at the crease when a heavy downpour sent the players scurrying off the field with the score 22-1 from 5.1 overs. When play resumed Hetmyer smashed Powell for six, pulled Russell for four, hammered Peat Salam for six and majestically cut him for four while Chanderpaul eased Powell over cover a delightful boundary.
But with partnership developing nicely, Chanderpaul (16) gloved a hook at Smith and was well caught by wicket-Keeper Chadwick Walton diving forward to leave the score 65-2. Leon Johnson (1) was bowled by Miller at 69-3 while Hetmyer, well set for big score played an irresponsible pulled to Miller and was taken by Brandon King running in from long-on 10 short of a fifty.
Barnwell playing in first match after replacing Raymond Reifer due to Windies ‘A’ team duties was just looking set after playing an enterprising cut off Miller for boundary and banging off-spinner Salam for flat six before he gifted his wicket away, top-edging a sweep off Miller for Russell at short fine leg to hold a good catch to his right after making 15.
From 100-5 the Jaguars lost wickets regularly as Miller bowled Bramble (4) at 107-6 but nobody reached 20 as Rutherford (18), Shepherd (19), Permaul (15) and Paul (14) all departed after playing little cameos
Guyana’s next match is tomorrow against Kent from 09:00hrs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

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