Captain Shai Hope’s composed half-century kept Barbados Pride dreaming before fast bowlers Nicholson Gordon and Odean Smith wiped out the lower order to hand Jamaica Scorpions an emphatic 64-run victory in the CG United Super50 Cup late Thursday night.
Asked to chase a challenging 278 under lights in the Zone B contest at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Pride recovered from a shaky start to be in command at 139-2 in the 29th over courtesy of Hope’s 86 and 57 from all-rounder Roston Chase.
The pendulum swung when left-arm chinaman specialist Dennis Bulli (2-57) triggered a slide to leave Pride on 167-5 in the 34th over but Hope remained entrenched, once again leading a recovery in an innings lasting 103 balls and including seven fours and a six.
Together with Roshon Primus (15), Hope had ground out a 39-run sixth wicket stand to push Pride past the 200-run mark when Gordon (3-21) and Smith (2-24) produced incisive bursts to send the last five wickets tumbling for seven runs in the space of 19 runs, leaving the innings 213 all out at the start of the 45th over.
Earlier, captain Rovman Powell had blasted 80 from 54 balls and Nkrumah Bonner, 59 from 82 balls, as Scorpions rallied to 277-6 off 50 overs after opting to bat first. When Chase pulled back the innings in a 10-over spell which brought excellent returns of 3-33, Smith then arrived and smashed 44 from 35 balls, to give Scorpions late momentum.
The victory was the first for Scorpions following a defeat in their opening match to Leeward Islands Hurricanes while for Pride, the loss was also their first following an opening win over West Indies Academy.
The CG United Super50 Cup continues on Saturday with three matches. The triple header bowls off in Antigua with Jamaica facing West Indies Academy at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
This will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN Caribbean for vies in the region. Over in Trinidad, Guyana Harpy Eagles face Combined Campuses and Colleges at Brian Lara Cricket Academy. In the day’s third match-up all eyes will be on the Queen’s Park Oval as defending champs Trinidad and Tobago Red Force take on the unbeaten Windward Islands Volcanoes.