Barbados Today

BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Devon Thomas’s second List A hundred powered Leeward Islands Hurricanes to a massive 198-run victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners, as the Group A hosts made a bold statement of intent in the curtain-raiser yesterday.

In the day/night contest at Warner Park, Hurricanes piled up 292 for seven off their 50 overs with the 29-year-old Thomas stroking 105 off 93 balls.

Test off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall then snatched four for 21 and seamer Sheno Berridge, three for 20, bundling Marooners out for 94 in the 32nd over, to give Hurricanes their second largest margin of victory by runs in Regional Super50 history.

Sent in, Hurricanes batted in partnerships, discarded Test opener Kieran Powell (30) posting 31 for the first wicket with Montcin Hodge (16) and a further 36 for the second wicket with Amir Jangoo who made 39.

Powell struck four fours in a 41-ball knock while Jangoo faced 67 balls and counted four fours and a six.

When Powell holed out to mid off with off-spinner Larry Joseph in the 19th over, Jangoo combined with Thomas to add 51 for the third wicket before he too holed out off Joseph, caught at long off by Jonathan Drakes in the 27th over.

With Hurricanes on 118 for three, Thomas then dominated two half-century stands to get this side up to their imposing total. First, he put on 54 for the fourth wicket with Akeem Saunders (24) before adding 56 for the sixth wicket with captain Jahmar Hamilton (18).

Thomas, who has played 21 One-Day Internationals for West Indies but has not tasted international cricket in six years, belted 10 fours and a six. He reached three figures off the first ball of the 48th over with a single to third man off pacer Ojay Shields.

He was eventually out in the 48th over, picking out long on with fast bowler Jarlarnie Seales.

In reply, the Marooners side featuring as many as four debutants crashed to 17 for four in the seventh over, with Cornwall accounting for three of the four wickets to fall.

And when Odain McCatty (15) and Joseph (5) perished in successive overs, the title-holders were 39 for six in the 12th over and in danger of crumbling quickly.

However, Seales proved his value with the bat, hammering four fours and two sixes in a defiant 39 off 66 balls as he posted 47 for the seventh wicket with Ackeem Jordan (11).

The stand only delayed the inevitable and Jordan’s demise in the 27th over bowled by Berridge, paved the way for Hurricanes’ uncomplicated win.