Rutherford blasts unbeatean 105 in Harpy Eagles win vs Hurricanes

Left-handed batsman Sherfane Rutherford scored his maiden List A hundred on Monday, as he powered the Guyana Harpy Eagles to a four-wicket win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their CG United Regional Super50 encounter at the Queen's Park Oval, St Clair.

It was the Harpy Eagles' second win in three matches in the competition, as they bounced back from a 114-run loss to Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on Saturday. Set a victory target of 245 by the previously unbeaten Leewards team at the St Clair venue, Guyana were powered by a ruthless Rutherford who struck seven fours and eight sixes in his unbeaten knock of 105 off 71 balls.

The 25-year-old Rutherford came to the crease with the game firmly in the balance, as Guyana slipped to 108 for five after the fall of Kevin Sinclair (12 off 26 balls) in the 28th over. Guyana required a further 137 runs off 134 balls at that stage, with Rutherford joining Kevlon Anderson in the middle. The pair put on 67 runs for the sixth wicket before Anderson was dismissed in the 38th over by Kofi James (three for 30) for 32 off 61 balls.

Rutherford dominated proceedings at the Oval thereafter, as he scored the bulk of the runs in an unbeaten 73-run partnership with Romario Shepherd (18 not out off 25 balls) for the seventh wicket. The Guyanese batsman was particularly severe on pacer Oshane Thomas, hitting the big Jamaican for a pair of massive sixes over mid-wicket and into the Carib stand.

Rutherford brought up his 100 with a tickle to the fine leg boundary off Justin Greaves at the start of the 48th over, before fittingly hitting the winning blow with a punishing shot to the long-off boundary to give Guyana the win with 15 balls to spare.

Earlier, Leewards got to a modest score of 244 for 6 in their allotted 50 overs, with both Jahmar Hamilton and Karima Gore top-scoring with 54 apiece. Shepherd and Guyana captain Veerasammy Permaul led the bowling attack for the Harpy Eagles with figures of two for 45 and two for 40 respectively.

Monday's other match between the West Indies Academy and Barbados Pride was abandoned during the first innings due to persistent rain at the University of the West Indies SPEC Ground in St Augustine. The WI Academy progressed to 141 for six before the heavens opened up to damped proceedings. WI Academy captain Nyeem Young was unbeaten on 67 off 89 balls when the game was abandoned. Both Dominic Drakes and Jair McAllister took two wickets apiece for Barbados.