Emerging Players romp to Super50 Cup

WEST INDIES Emerging Players capped a fairytale debut in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup with an emphatic 205-run win over the Leeward Islatnds Hurricanes on Sunday evening at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair.

The Emerging Players racked up 293 for seven thanks to Leonardo Julien’s 83 in their 50 overs but the Hurricanes couldn’t replicate their big-hitting from the victory against TT Red Force on Friday, as they crumbled for just 88 in 26.5 overs.

The Hurricanes sent the opposition in to bat and the Emerging Players quickly rectified their wobbly batting from the close-knit semis against the Barbados Pride to achieve their highest score in the tournament. They got off to a flyer with West Indies Under-19 batsmen, Kimani Melius and Julien, racing to a fifty partnership off 54 balls with nine fours. However, with the score at 60, Melius, the regional U-19 captain, carelessly placed Jacques Taylor into the hands of Kaecy Carty for 28 (off 34 balls with one four and two sixes).

Skipper and local boy Yannic Cariah entered the wicket, putting on 81 with Julien who remained the flashy batsman with 11 fours and two sixes.

Cariah accumulated a patient 34 off 51 with two fours on his home ground before being run out at 141. Another Parkite, Joshua Da Silva, came in but he would fall 22 runs later, LBW to Sheeno Berridge for ten. Julien, after hammering pacer Quinton Boatswain, Berridge and Jason Campbell all around the ground, would be the next to depart. His 83 came off 85 balls before playing Berridge into Devon Thomas at extra cover.

Justin Greaves (eight) then exited to the same bowler-catcher combination at 188.

Roland Cato with 31 off 36 and Kevin Sinclair with 28 off 33 would move the innings along, only for Carty to remove Cato, while Sinclair fell to Boatswain. With the score at 250 for seven in the 47th, Dominic Drakes and Keon Harding would light the Oval up with some last minute heroics to ensure a hefty score.

Drakes smashed a quickfire 38 from 25 (three fours, two sixes) while Harding ably supported with 13 off ten as they ended unbeaten with a very intimidating total on the board.

In their chase, the Hurricanes never looked comfortable with Sinclair’s off-spin and Cariah’s leg-spin proving troublesome. Sinclair finished with four for 20 and Cariah three for eight.

Montcin Hodge (one) was the first to fall, edging Harding behind to Da Silva. Kieran Powell (13) fell the same way off Sinclair with the score on 23 for two. Ashmead Nedd then scalped Devon Thomas for 15 before Cariah took over the show.

He removed Kacey Carty (eight), bowled Amir Jangoo (20) and dismissed danger-man Jahmar Hamilton, who skied to Melius for six. With Akeem Saunders run out for one in between Cariah’s destruction, the Hurricanes wilted easily as they scrambled to 71 for seven before the 20th. Sinclair returned to the attack to wipe up the tail, bowling Taylor (four), nabbing Campbell (ten) who edged to Greaves at first slip and then getting Berridge stumped for a duck to gift the title to the Emerging Players.

Summarised Scores -

At Queen’s Park Oval: WEST INDIES EMERGING PLAYERS 293/7 (50 overs) - Leonardo Julien 83, Dominic Drakes 38 not out, Yannic Cariah 34; Quinton Boatswain 2/59, Sheeno Berridge 2/60 vs LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES 88 all out (26.5 overs) - Amir Jangoo 20, Devon Thomas 15; Kevin Sinclair 4/20, Cariah 3/8. Emerging Players won by 205 runs.