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)