Nineteen-year-old Rakheem Cornwall had a wonderful game for the Leewards but in the end Jamaica held their nerve to take away a 'Super Over' win in the Regional T20 cricket tournament at the Queen's Park Oval last night.
After making a less than impressive 110/8 off their 20 overs, the Jamaican bowlers brought their team right back into the match, reduing the Leewards to 64 for five off 15 overs.
However, Cornwall who had taken 3/10 when Jamaica batted, found an able ally in West Indies wicketkeeper Devon Thomas and they took the game right down to the wire.
With 36 runs needed off three overs, the Jamaicans were ahead and even as they headed into the final over with 13 runs needed, the Reggae Men would have fancied their chances.
However, Cornwall and Thomas brought it down to eight off two balls and the former struck a straight six off the penultimate ball the leave the Leewards needing two off one delivery bowled by Andre Russell. It was not to be but the batsmen scampered a bye that tied the scores.
This forced the game into a Super Over and the Leewards batting first lost their two wickets for two runs. The Jamaicans duly won the contest with Russell hitting the first ball for four.
Earlier, the Jamaican batsmen struggled again on the sluggish Oval pitch where free scoring was a problem. Skipper Tamar Lambert and Danza Hyatt quickly found this out and started to pick up the singles and rotate the strike. Lambert made 34 from 40 balls with three fours and a six and included in his runs were 14 singles.
Hyatt also ran in between the wickets well when boundaries dried up and scored 39 off 37 balls with three fours and one six. He had 15 singles in his knock.
Apart from these two the rest of the batsmen found it very difficult against the Leewards spinners with Cornwall the star.
Scoreboard Jam vs Leewards
Jamaica inns
J Campbell b Athanaze 0
N Bonner c Martin b Cornwall 10
T Lambert c Hughes b Cornwall 34
D Hyatt run out 39
A Mc Carthy st Thomas b Cornwall 0
A Russell c Athanaze b Burton 8
D Bernard c Athanaze b Martin 9
K Santokie c Athanaze b Willett 0
A Thomas not out 1
Extras 3w, 6lb 9
Total for 9 wkts 110
Fall of wkts:A Martin 4-1-18-1, J Athanaze 3-0-19-1, R Cornwall 4-0-10-3, T Willett 4-0-20-1, S Burton 3-0-27-1, C Hughes 2-0-10-0.
Leewards inns
J Liburd c Brown b Lambert 24
K Powell b Santokie 6
T Willett b Brown 18
C Hughes b Brown 2
S Joseph c Bonner b Brown
D Thomas not out 26
R Cornwall not out 28
Extras lb1, w2" 3
Total 5 wkts (20) 110
Fall of wkts: 9, 49, 51, 53, 64.
Bowling: K Santokie 4-1-24-1, D Bernard 3-0-22-0, N Miller 2-0-5-0, A Russell 3-0-26-0, T Lambert 4-0-21-2, O Brown 4-0-10-2.
Match tied.
Super Over.
Leewards - 2/2
Jamaica - 4/0
