It was a feat that had not been hitherto achieved in regional cricket.
Defending champions, Guyana Jaguars had declared their innings closed on 233 for 8, effectively giving the Leewards Hurricanes an imposing and nigh improbable task of getting 369 runs for victory on a last day pitch at the Warner Park Cricket stadium.
Prior to that, one would have to go all the way back to the year 1983, incidentally, the year of Independence for the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis, to discover that the Windward islands had indeed surpassed a target of 368 set at the Queen’s Park Oval by Trinidad and Tobago. They got to 371 for 8 at the end.
The Leewards Hurricanes started the final day on 47 for no loss and Captain Kieran Powell made his intentions clear as he scored briskly during the course of the morning.
Soon after depositing a Veerasammy Permaul delivery into the stands, he attempted the same shot, but this time got his angles wrong and holed out at long on for 54.
The Guyana Jaguars celebrated to a man and the general feeling was that the Leewards Hurricanes would collapse, as they would have done for the past several years.
Surprise, surprise… Montcin Hodge was a measure of concentration and ably assisted by Nkrumah Bonner and later Jamar Hamilton and Jeremiah Louis, he led the charge for the Leewards Hurricanes to complete an astonishing victory, which left the defending champions, understandably stunned and deflated.
For double emphasis, Jamar Hamilton finished the game with an emphatic heave for a maximum.
The Leewards Hurricanes have therefore established a new regional record in terms of the highest run chase in regional cricket, having achieved the highest fourth innings total in the modern era.
TOTALS | WINNER | TARGET | OPPONENT | VENUE | YEAR |
372-6 | Leeward Islands Hurricanes | 369 | Guyana Jaguars | Warner Park | 2016-17 |
371-8 | Windward Islands | 368 | Trinidad & Tobago | Queen’s Park Oval | 1983 |
335-6 | Guyana | 333 | Barbados | Kensington Oval | 2014-15 |
314-4 | Guyana | 314 | Combined Islands | Albion Sports Complex | 1972 |
303-3 | Jamaica | 301 | Leeward Islands | Antigua Recreation Ground | 1967 |
301-7 | Trinidad & Tobago | 301 | Barbados | Guaracara Park | 1993 |
Summarized scores: Guyana Jaguars 293 for 9: Shiv Chanderpaul 81*; Chandrika 64 retired hurt; Hetmyer 53
Rahkeem Cornwall 6 for 87; Kieran Powell 1 for 14; Jeremiah Louis 1 for 23; Hayden Walsh 1 for 58
Leewards Hurricanes: 158 all out: Kieran Powell 79; Jeremiah Louis 24*
Moti 3 for 43; Reifer 2 for 22; Joseph 2 for 27; Barnwell 1 for 27 and Permaul 1 for 44
Guyana Jaguars 233 for 8 dec: Barnwell 61; Reifer 46
Walsh 4 for 56; Cornwall 2 for 72; Boatswain 1 for 30
Leewards Hurricanes: 372 for 6: Montcin Hodge 114; Nkrumah Bonner 82; Kieran Powell 54
Permaul 4 for 109; Reifer 1 for 65
Leewards Hurricanes won by 4 wickets
Point standings
Barbados-24.4 points
Leewards-24.2 points
Guyana-24 points
Trinidad &Tobago 22 points
Jamaica-21 points
Windwards -9.2 points