Left-handed T&T batsman Leonardo Julien was in great form striking 83 for the West Indies Emerging Players against the Leewards Hurricanes in the final of the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup at the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain on Sunday.
The left-hander was the main act in their effort of 293/7 batting first.
Coming into the final with scores of one, one and one the southpaw reeled off several boundaries on his way to his first List A half-century. He was excellent on the off-side hitting the spaces regularly, as he counted boundary after boundary.
He and the talented Kimani Melius got the Emerging team off to a great start adding 62 runs in 11.4 overs before being separated. The right-handed Melius looked in fine touch before he crunched a half-tracker to Devon Thomas at mid-wicket for 28 off 34 balls including two sixes and a four.
Skipper Yanick Carriah chose the rotation of strike as his method and realised 81 for the second wicket. He saw Julien to his fifty before leaving for 34 off 51 balls including two fours. Julien was in his element, striking the ball powerfully but with a century beckoning, he drove in the air off Sheeno Berridge to fall for 83. He faced 85 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes.
Meaningful contributions towards the back end of the innings from Dominique Drakes 38 not out, Roland Cato 31 and Kevin Sinclair 28 took the total to 293/7.
SCORES 293/7 (50) (Leonardo Julien 83, Yannic Carriah 34, Roland Cato 31, Kevin Sinclair 28, Dominique Drakes 38no, Sheeno Berridge 2/60, Quinton Boatswain 2/59) vs West Indies Emerging Players.