Cummins bowls Pride to convincing victory over Red Force, Volcanoes no match for Marooners
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Reigning champions Barbados Pride and fellow hometown team Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners launched the Regional Super50 Festival with resounding victories in Group “A” today here.
Lethal spells from WINDIES fast bowling pair of Miguel Cummins and Kemar Roach followed up solid batting led by uncapped all-rounder Kevin Stoute and WINDIES batsman Roston Chase to lead Pride to a convincing, 171-run victory over Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.
And, the batting of the Barbados-based Marooners, led by Kjorn Ottley, set things up before their bowlers, led by veteran left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds, formalised a comfortable 115-run victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes.
Pride 278-9 (50 overs) beat Red Force 107 (21.3 overs) by 171 runs at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown
Cummins grabbed 4-35 from nine overs and the Pride fast bowlers made light work of the Red Force batting.
Kemar Roach warmed up for the ICC World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, taking 3-33 from eight overs, and fellow WINDIES pacer Carlos Brathwaite supported with 2-32 from four overs.
Sunil Narine, batting at eight, blasted seven fours and three sixes in a crisp 51 from 28 balls to help Red Force avoid the humiliation of falling for one of their lowest total ever in this tournament, but no other batsman distinguished himself.
Before a crowd that included WINDIES legend Colin Croft, Roach ripped out Tion Webster, Amir Jangoo and Jason Mohammed cheaply, and in between, Cummins struck a vital blow removing WINDIES white-ball opener Evin Lewis for five.
Red Force were 17 for four – and they never recovered, as the Pride pacers extracted generous bounce and movement from the helpful surface – freshened by the moist night air – and collected most of their scalps to catches either to the keeper or slip fielders.
It was a total contrast to earlier in the day, when Stoute resolutely gathered 74 from 107 balls and club-mate Chase carved out an even 50 from 47 balls to give momentum to the Pride batting.
Stoute played a supporting role in key partnerships of 97 for the second wicket with WINDIES batsman Shai Hope and 67 for the third-wicket with left-hander Jonathan Carter.
Hope made 47 and Carter added 37 before they were wiped away in a period, when the Pride stumbled from 183 for three in the 35th over to 216 for six in the 43rd over.
But Chase led a rear-guard action of 55 for the seventh wicket with Ashley Nurse help beef up the Pride total down the stretch.
Marooners 228 (48.2 overs) beat Volcanoes 113 (29.3) at Three Ws Oval in Cave Hill
Sent in to bat in the tournament curtain-raiser, Marooners were handed a solid start when Kjorn Ottley and Corbin put on 94 for the first wicket.
The left-handed Ottley struck four fours and two sixes in the top score of 60 from 89 balls and Corbin produced a brisk 55-ball knock of 44 which included two fours and three sixes.
When Corbin fell in the 18th over, Ottley combined with young brother, Yannick to keep the innings flowing.
Both brothers fell in the space of three balls in successive overs leaving Marooners on 130 for three, leaving Hinds and Vikash Mahon to rally the innings in a 42-run, fourth wicket stand before WINDIES pacer Kesrick Williams dismantled the rest of the batting, ending with 4-70 from 9.2 overs.
Volcanoes lost international Johnson Charles to the second ball of the innings without a run on the board, when Hinds – opening the bowling – trapped him lbw.
Fast bowler Jermaine Levy accounted for Devon Smith, the leading scorer in the WINDIES first-class season which ended two Sundays ago, also lbw without scoring in the following over, as Volcanoes limped to 14 for two.
Other batsmen threatened briefly, but none could make a significant impact, as Volcanoes crumbled.