SUPER50: Nedd, Sinclair spin Emerging Players into final

(Report and Photography by Akeem Greene in Trinidad)

The dream run by West Indies Emerging Players continued after they survived some tense moments to beat Barbados Pride by three wickets and the reach the final of Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup.

Guyanese spinners Ashmead Nedd and Kevin Sinclair, along with Yannic Cariah, kept a tight leash on the Bajans, but their batsmen crept to the target of 111 in 38.4 overs at Queen’s Park Oval, Thursday evening.

It was a shocking performance by Pride, the 2017 champions, however, credit must be given to the disciplined approach by the Emerging Players, who only scraped into the semi-finals after a wretched final three group matches and Guyana Jaguars suffering a defeat in their final game.

Pride headed into the match with calls from their captain Jonathon Carter to remain focused, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Leniko Boucher played an expansive drive in just the second over and edged Keon Harding to the keeper.

Nedd was quick into the wickets column with a bit of luck, getting a deflection off Kjorn Ottley unto his stumps.

A shaky 7-2 in the third over became 17-4 in the seventh when Sinclair got into his miserly act of wickets and no runs. He got Carter edging behind for three then sent Kyle Mayers back without a score.

Rain placed a stoppage on the momentum of the Emerging Players in the ninth over with the score 30-4. Upon resumption, Zachary McCaskie and Nicholas Kirton formed a ‘Pride saving’ partnership of 55.

McCaskie in particular looked solid on the front foot. He executed some full-blooded drives through cover off both pacers Harding and Jermaine Levy.

With both batsmen looking more assured against the quicker men, Yannick Cariah brought spin from both ends, but it was a run out which ended the blossoming stand.  Pushing it out to deep mid-wicket, McCaskie hunted two, but fell way short for a well-composed 40 from 61 balls, inclusive of five sweetly timed fours.

Nedd, who made a conceited effort to pitch the ball fuller, trapped Tevyn Walcott first ball for another double wicket blow to Pride.

Cariah brought himself into the attack to keep the shackle of spin and managed to bowl Kirton for 26, which came from 49 balls and had a solitary six.

Ashley Nurse struck some lusty blows in a 20-ball 25 (1×4; 2x6s), but he too could not withstand the accuracy of Nedd and was adjudged leg before and Pride soon folded in 31.2 overs.

A chase which was presumed to be a walk in the park turned out to be an uphill task in only their third chase in the tournament.

The spin of Nurse was quickly introduced and immediately paid virtue with the dismissal of Leonardo Julien in the seventh over at 18-1. Three more wickets fell in quick succession and left Emerging Players 43-4 in 14.1 overs.

Joshua DaSilva and Ronaldo Cato then steadied the ship with a 33-run stand. DaSilva battled through the pain of inside edge to his toe, but his resistance- 27 off 66- ended with a thin edge.

One of the floodlights went out for a third time which meant a revised target was set at 111 in 43 overs. Emerging Players were 100-6 in 35 overs at the stoppage.

Cato with an unbeaten 25 from 56 balls eventually sealed the match for Emerging Players. Nurse was the pick of the bowlers with 3-35, while Miguel Cummings had 2-22.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will clash Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the second semi-final at the Oval from 13:30h on Friday. The final is on Sunday.