JAMAICA: Captain Shai composed half-century kept Barbados Pride dreaming before fast bowlers Nicholson Gordon and Odean Smith wiped out the lower order to hand Jamaica Scorpions an emphatic 64-run
victory in the CG United Super50 Cup.
Asked to chase a challenging 278 under lights in the Zone B contest at Sir
Vivian Richards Stadium, Pride recovered from a shaky start to be in command
at 139-2 in the 29th over courtesy of Hope’s 86 and 57 from all-rounder
Roston Chase.
The pendulum swung when left-arm chinaman specialist Dennis Bulli (2-57)
triggered a slide to leave Pride on 167-5 in the 34th over but Hope remained
entrenched, once again leading a recovery in an innings lasting 103 balls
and including seven fours and a six.
Together with Roshon Primus (15), Hope had ground out a 39-run sixth wicket
stand to push Pride past the 200-run mark when Gordon (3-21) and Smith
(2-24) produced incisive bursts to send the last five wickets tumbling for
seven runs in the space of 19 runs, leaving the innings 213 all out at the
start of the 45th over.
Earlier, captain Rovman Powell had blasted 80 from 54 balls and Nkrumah
Bonner, 59 from 82 balls, as Scorpions rallied to 277-6 off 50 overs after
opting to bat first. When Chase pulled back the innings in a 10-over spell
which brought excellent returns of 3-33, Smith then arrived and smashed 44
from 35 balls, to give Scorpions late momentum.
The victory was the first for Scorpions following a defeat in their opening
match to Leeward Islands Hurricanes while for Pride, the loss was also their
first following an opening win over West Indies Academy.
