A magnificent 105 not out from captain Rovman Powell led the Jamaica Scorpions to a three-wicket victory over the Guyana Harpy Eagles in the second semi-final of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday.
The Harpy Eagles won the toss and decided to bat first. Openers Anthony Bramble and Kemol Savory put on 39 before Bramble was removed for 22 by Jeavor Royal in the 10th over.
Savory was next to go for 15, caught by Brandon King off the bowling of Nicholson Gordon at the end of the 11th over.
Tevin Imlach and captain Leon Johnson then put on a brief 33-run partnership before Imlach became Odean Smith’s first wicket for 20 to leave the Harpy Eagles 76-3 off 18.5 overs.
That wicket brought Shimron Hetmyer to the crease to join Johnson and the pair brought up the hundred for Guyana in the 24th over.
Johnson got a reprieve in the 23rd over when he was dropped by King on 22 with the score on 92-3 but his luck ran out when King made up for his earlier mistake to catch Johnson off Dennis Bulli for 30 to leave the Harpy Eagles 113-4 in the 26th over.
The Scorpions could have removed new batsman Sherfane Rutherford in the same over but King dropped his second catch of the day at slip.
Hetmyer brought up his 10th List A fifty off 47 balls in the 31st over. The same over also saw him and Rutherford carry Guyana past 150.
The pair continued to pepper the Scorpions bowling and brought up Guyana’s 200 in the 38th over with Hetmyer cruising on 69 and Rutherford on 44. With a boundary off Odean Smith in the 40th over, Rutherford brought up his 50 off 41 balls and brought up the 100-partnership between himself and Hetmyer off 84 deliveries. Two balls later, Rutherford was dismissed for 56 to leave the Harpy Eagles 219-5.
Hetmyer was finally dismissed by Odean Smith in the 44th over for a well-played 86 off 76 balls to leave Guyana 250-6.
Guyana was 296-6 off 47.1 overs when the rain started. Kevin Sinclair (33) and Romario Shepherd (21) were the not out batsmen.
After a break of about 20 minutes, the Harpy Eagles brought up their 300 off 47.5 overs, their first score of 300 in this year’s tournament.
Eventually, after the wickets of Shepherd (28), Gudakesh Motie (0) and Veerasammy Permaul (0), Guyana was able to post 318-9 from their 50 overs. Kevin Sinclair ended 45 not out from 32 balls. Odean Smith ended with 5-65 from his nine overs for the Scorpions while Nicholson Gordon provided some good bowling at the death to finish with 2-55 from his eight overs.
Jamaica’s reply did not get off to the best of starts as Chadwick Walton was removed for just 11 in the fourth over with the score on 23.
Brandon King and Andre McCarthy then combined and put the Guyana bowling to the sword, with King bringing up his second fifty of the tournament off just 34 balls as the pair brought the score up to 83-1 after 11 overs.
The partnership was broken in the 13th over when McCarthy was trapped in front by Gudakesh Motie for 22 to leave the Scorpions at 92-2.
The 15th over was then a bittersweet one for the Jamaicans as they brought up their 100 but, on the other hand, also lost Brandon King for 64 from just 49 balls to be left 101-3.
Alwyn Williams (24) and Rovman Powell (31) were the batsmen at the crease when the Scorpions brought up their 150 after 22 overs. Powell brought up his fifty off 38 balls with a boundary off Nial Smith in the 28th over to move the score up to 188-3.
The Scorpions brought up their 200 through an Alwyn Williams six off Kevin Sinclair in the 30th over. Similar to when the 100 was brought up, Williams was then dismissed off the very next ball for 45 to leave the score at 204-4 after 29.4 overs.
Jamaica lost their fifth wicket when Peat Salmon went caught behind off the bowling of Motie for eight with the score on 214 from 32.2 overs.
Powell and Dennis Bulli moved the Scorpions’ score up to 248-5 before Bulli was dismissed for 17 by Nial Smith in the 38th over. Powell then hit Smith for a boundary in the same over to move up to 77 and move the Scorpions past 250.
With the Scorpions needing 34 from 37 balls, Sherfane Rutherford dismissed Odean Smith for 19 to leave score at 285-7 after 44 overs.
A Jeavor Royal six in the 47th over brought up the 300 for the Scorpions, leaving them needing just 14 runs to win from 22 balls.
Captain Powell then brought up a magnificent 100 off just 89 balls including seven fours and three sixes, his fourth List A hundred, leaving Jamaica needing 10 more runs off the final three overs to advance to the final.
Needing only three runs to win from the last two overs, Jeavor Royal hit Nial Smith for a six to bring the Scorpions to 322-7 off 48.1 overs, sealing an excellent three-wicket win.
Powell ended 105 not out while Motie led the Harp Eagles bowling with 3-48 from his 10 overs.
The Jamaica Scorpions will now play the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in Saturday’s final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. (SportsMax)
