BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Spinners Damion Jacobs and Rahkeem Cornwall won Leeward Islands Hurricanes their first match in a low-scoring contest, as they came from behind to beat Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners by nine runs in Group B of the Regional Super50 here yesterday.
Defending a lowly 130 at 3W’s Oval, Hurricanes sent the hosts tumbling for 121 in the 38th over, with leg-spinner Jacobs claiming four for 31 and off-spinner Cornwall, three for 39. Nicholas Kirton, batting at number seven, top-scored with 33 but no other batsman passed 20 in a dismal batting performance.
Captain Devon Thomas had earlier held the innings together with 44 as wickets clattered around him as Hurricanes were dismissed in the 40th over.
Again, no other batsman passed 20 as Yannick Ottley grabbed three for 37 while fellow left-arm spinner Linton Buchanan (2-24), off-spinner Jon-Russ Jagessar (2-4) and Akeem Jordan (2-17) all snared two wickets each.
Jordan removed both openers Montcin Hodge (8) and Chesney Hughes (2) cheaply as Hurricanes slipped to 22 for three in the eighth over.
Thomas then stitched up the innings, adding 38 for the fourth wicket with Orlando Peters (16) and a further 35 for the fifth wicket with Rahkeem Cornwall (17).
The right-handed Thomas faced 78 balls and struck a four and a couple of sixes before he was eighth out, tapping a return catch back to Yannick Ottley in the 33rd over.
What should have been an easy run chase quickly became complicated when left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell bowled Kyle Corbin with the first ball of the innings.
Amir Jangoo (19) and Kjorn Ottley tried to repair the damage in a 28-run second wicket stand but Cornwall, who shared the new ball, struck in the eighth over when he trapped Ottley lbw.
In his next over with just five runs added, Cornwall bowled Jangoo and when Nicholas Sookdeosingh (4) and captain Carlos Brathwaite (3) fell in quick succession to Cornwall and Jacobs respectively, Marooners were tottering on 39 for five in the 15th over.
Kirton came to his team’s aid, anchoring two small stands which halted the Hurricanes victory charge. First, he put on 30 for the sixth wicket with Yannick Ottley (7) and when two wickets perished for three runs in the space of 23 balls, Kirton added another 29 for the eighth wicket with Jordan (17).
Marooners were slowly gaining the advantage when Jacobs struck twice in successive overs, removing both Kirton and Jordan, leaving Marooners on the brink of defeat at 104 for nine in the 33rd over.
There was one last twist as Jagessar (11) and Buchanan (1) put on a precious 17 for the final wicket to put Marooners in sight of victory but off-spinner Terrence Warde broke the stand, knocking over Jagessar.
