Harpy Eagles get off the mark against rampaging Hurricanes

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

THE GUYANA Harpy Eagles registered their first victory of the CG United Super50 competition, defeating the Leeward Islands Hurricanes by eight wickets under the DLS method at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Tuesday.

Asked to take the first strike in a match reduced to 41 overs, the Hurricanes were restricted to 139 all out in 34.2 overs. Captain Rakheem Cornwall top-scored with 36, and Jeremiah Louis contributed 34. Notably, Justin Greaves, who had been in prolific form with three centuries in previous games, made just 27.

Guyana comfortably chased down the target, reaching 141-2 in just 27.5 overs. Captain Tevin Imlach anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69 off 76 balls, marking his third half-centuy of the tournament, while Matthew Nandu scored a solid 50 off 74 balls.

Sent into bat, the Hurricanes were quickly on the backfoot with opener Mykyle Louis, sent back for just one, his stumps knocked back by Ashmead Nedd, whose 2-19 spelled disaster.

Nedd’s second wicket, that of Chesney Hughes, came in the same fashion.

At 26-2 in the sixth over, the Hurricanes were already in trouble.

Cornwall and Jeremiah Louis looked to right the innings, but when the former’s checked drive off Nial Smith landed in the hands of Veerasammy Permaul at long off, with the Hurricanes at 117-8 in the 30th over, the Hurricanes knew they would be putting up an indefensible total.

Before that, Permaul, who ended with man-of-the-match figures of 3-24, had already done what proved to be irreparable damage, removing the in-form Greaves, getting the opener to tickle one behind for wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach to gobble before doing the same to Karima Gore (4) and Jahmar Hamilton (3).

In reply, Guyana started shakily, losing Tagenarine Chanderpaul for three when the opener tried to push at a rising delivery from Oshane Thomas.

But Nandu and Imlach were unflustered, the only other breakthrough coming when the former went lbw off Cornwall’s bowling.

Kemol Savery stuck around with Imlach, scoring seven from five deliveries to help see the Harpy Eagles home safely.