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Caribbean Times 94th Issue

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16 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g<br />

Thursday 9th February 2017<br />

Cornwall seals sensational victory<br />

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A scintillating<br />

unbeaten half-century from<br />

Rahkeem Cornwall proved the difference<br />

as Leeward Islands Hurricanes<br />

trounced Windward Islands Volcanoes<br />

by four wickets, in a dramatic Group<br />

A game of the Regional Super50 here<br />

Wednesday.<br />

In pursuit of a difficult 294 for victory<br />

in the day/night affair at Coolidge<br />

Cricket Ground, Hurricanes were in<br />

control at 164 for one in the 30th over<br />

behind captain Kieran Powell’s brilliant<br />

80, but lost five wickets for 44<br />

runs to collapse to 208 for six in the<br />

39th over.<br />

The burly Cornwall, who celebrated<br />

his 24th birthday a week ago, then took<br />

control of the run chase for Scorpions,<br />

blasting 74 not out off just 50 balls to<br />

stun Volcanoes.<br />

He belted 10 fours and a six as he<br />

added 91 off 63 balls in an unbroken<br />

seventh wicket stand with Trinidadian<br />

all-rounder Akeal Hosein, whose unbeaten<br />

26 came from 24 balls and was<br />

equally crucial.<br />

With 49 required from 48 balls, the<br />

left-handed Hosein eased the pressure<br />

by clearing the ropes at mid-wicket<br />

with left-arm seamer Kyle Mayers before<br />

combining with Cornwall to get<br />

eight runs from Delorn Johnson’s next<br />

over.<br />

Mayers returned the pressure by<br />

conceding just two runs in the 45th<br />

to leave Hurricanes requiring 29 runs<br />

from 30 balls.<br />

Cornwall took matters into his own<br />

hands in the following over, hitting<br />

left-armer Johnson straight for four and<br />

then squirting him square for another<br />

boundary.<br />

Volcanoes then cracked under the<br />

pressure with Devon Smith spilling an<br />

easy catch at long off as Hosein hit out<br />

against Mayers in the 47th over, and<br />

Leeward Islands allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall plays a shot.<br />

Cornwall seized on the moment to deposit<br />

the very next ball straight for six<br />

and hand Hurricanes the momentum.<br />

With just two required for victory<br />

from the penultimate over, Cornwall<br />

fittingly ended the game when he caressed<br />

the fourth ball from Mayers to<br />

the cover boundary.<br />

The half-century was Cornwall’s<br />

second of the tournament – and second<br />

against Volcanoes – following his<br />

unbeaten 70 in his Hurricanes’ third<br />

game.<br />

Powell had earlier extended his run<br />

of phenomenal form when he faced 84<br />

balls and struck four fours and three<br />

sixes, to mark his fifth consecutive<br />

score of over fifty.<br />

He laid the foundation for the successful<br />

run chase by posting 112 for the<br />

first wicket with Montcin Hodge who<br />

scored 46 from 54 balls, before adding<br />

a further 52 for the second wicket with<br />

Jermaine Otto who struck two fours<br />

and two sixes in a frenetic 47.<br />

Powell, who has already scored<br />

three centuries, now has 509 runs at an<br />

average of 84.<br />

Volcanoes had appeared to put<br />

themselves in the driver’s seat when<br />

they piled up 293 for eight off their 50<br />

overs, after opting to bat first.<br />

They were propelled by veteran<br />

left-hander Smith who broke out of a<br />

lean patch to hammer 101 off 103 balls<br />

with 13 fours and one six, in notching<br />

his seventh List A hundred.<br />

He was joined by Sunil Ambris who<br />

carved out a cameo 53 off 36 deliveries<br />

with six fours and a six, while Andre<br />

Fletcher weighed in with 41.<br />

Volcanoes were struggling at 42 for<br />

two in the seventh over before Smith<br />

and Fletcher combined in a 133-run,<br />

third wicket stand to bolster the innings.<br />

When Fletcher perished in the 34th,<br />

Ambris posted 34 with Smith for the<br />

fourth wicket and 39 for the fifth wicket<br />

with Mayers (16), to capitalize on<br />

loose Hurricanes bowling.<br />

Hosein snared four for 57 with his<br />

left-arm spin while seamer Gavin Tonge<br />

picked up<br />

three for 75.<br />

(CMC)

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