BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – USA Cricket’s spinning duo of Nosthusha Kenjige and Timil Patel bamboozled the Leeward Islands Hurricanes’ batsmen to record a shock victory in their Regional Super50 contest at Kensington Oval on Wednesday.
Man-of-the-Match Kenjige claimed three wickets and Patel accounted for two as USA routed the Hurricanes for just 109, 88 runs short of their intended target, with USA having earlier been dismissed for 197.
In a stunning batting collapse, the Hurricanes lost their last six wickets for just 19 runs, as the USA recorded their first win of the competition.
Kenjige and Patel also received good support, with each of the other four bowlers used all claiming wickets.
The Hurricanes found themselves in trouble from as early as the second over when Chesney Hughes was dismissed by Jasdeep Singh without a run on the board.
Left-arm fast bowler Elmore Hutchinson then struck 13 runs later, removing Akeem Saunders for nine to leave the score 13 for two. That soon became 68-4 following the dismissals of Montcin Hodge (18) and captain Devon Thomas for 17.
A brief partnership between top scorer Orlando Peters and Terrence Warde temporarily halted the slide of wickets before Kenjige and Patel took control.
With the score on 90-4, Kenjige had Peters stumped for 37 and followed that up by bowling Rahkeem Cornwall three runs later.
Patel then caught and bowled Warde for four, before Kenjige snared his final wicket by having Jaison Peters stumped for one run as the Hurricanes slumped to 98-8.
The match was over 11 runs later when Patel had Sheldon Cottrell leg before wicket for a duck.
Earlier, in their turn at the crease several USA batsmen got starts but failed to carry on.
Patel led the way with a pedestrian knock of 39 which came from 80 balls, but Monank Patel (27), Steven Taylor (22) and Alex Amsterdam who made 21, all made useful contributions.
Leg-spinner Damion Jacobs was the pick of the Hurricanes’ bowlers with 3-40 from 10 overs, while Cornwall, Jeremiah Louis and Hughes supported with two wickets apiece.
