Defending champions Jamaica fall to Powell onslaught

TAROUBA, Trinidad, (CMC):

KIERAN POWELL and Daniel Doram both starred as Leeward Islands Hurricanes made light work of title-holders Jamaica Scorpions with an uncomplicated eight-wicket victory at the Brian Lara Stadium.

Opting to bowl first, Hurricanes bundled out Scorpions for 123 in the 33rd over, left-arm spinner Daniel Doram wrecking the innings with seven for 29 – the third best figures in the history of the Regional Super50 Cup and second best by a Leeward Islands bowler.

West Indies white-ball all-rounder Odean Smith top-scored with 26 from 30 balls at number eight, while out-of-favour Test batsman Nkrumah Bonner chipped in with 24 from 29 deliveries, but they were the only two to pass 20.

In reply, left-hander Powell dominated, smashing a half-dozen fours and as many sixes in a stunning 36-ball unbeaten 80 to take Hurricanes over the line off just 14 overs.

He raced to his 19th List A 50 off just 24 balls with five fours and three sixes and fittingly struck the winning runs, lofting off-spinner Andre McCarthy to the wide long on boundary to tie the scores before ambling a single down the ground.

“It’s a good way to start, but I think for us, we have to now build on this performance and go on in the rest of the games,” said captain Alzarri Joseph.

It was Joseph (2-24) who handed his side an explosive start, removing both opener Kirk McKenzie (1) and his Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (0) in the third over, and leaving Scorpions on eight for two.

66 FOR SIX

McCarthy (13) put on 20 for the third wicket with opener Chadwick Walton (16) and 28 for the fourth with Bonner, but Doram then ripped through the middle order to send Scorpions tumbling to 66 for six in the 17th over.

Smith blasted two fours and a six in a 36-run, seventh-wicket partnership with captain Rovman Powell (13), but once Doram had Powell stumped, Scorpions lost their last four wickets for 21 runs.

“I think it was a difficult wicket to bat on, but obviously, it wasn’t a 120-run wicket,” said Rovman Powell.

“Obviously, it’s just a case where we always start badly, but we can’t keep turning up year after year starting this disappointingly.

“It’s for us now to just pick up the pieces. We have one day – that is tomorrow (Thursday) – and then we go again. Hopefully, we get a better result against [Barbados] Pride.”

Kieran Powell silenced Scorpions from early in the run chase, putting on 29 for the first wicket with Kofi James (12), 27 for the second wicket with Keacy Carty (4) before dominating an unbroken third-wicket stand of 68 with Karima Gore (19 not out).