BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Paul Palmer had mixed feelings, after Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners edged Jamaica Scorpions by two wickets in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup on Friday.
A six from Akeem Jordan with two balls remaining formalised an unexpected win for the Marooners, ending the Scorpions streak of four successive wins.
But Palmer was in the forefront of the run chase of 273, gathering the top score of 59 from 70 balls, anchoring the bottom half of the batting and reviving the innings after it ran into trouble around the halfway mark.
Palmer happens to be a former Scorpions captain and missed out on selection to the side for this tournament.
He spoke to CWI Media following the game and said regaining a place in the Scorpions team was one of the reasons he decided to play for the Marooners. . .
On beating Scorpions:
It is a bitter-sweet moment for me. It is the team that comes from my homeland. Unfortunately, I did not make the team. I wanted the opportunity to play, so I joined the Marooners, and I thank them for the opportunity to come out and show my skills.
On his performance:
It was vital. We got off to a good start, but things got tight in the middle overs. We needed someone to stick it out and put some pressure back on the bowling team, and I think I managed to do it.
On how he managed the situation:
What I used to manage the situation was to calculate the risk that I would take and which bowlers to take on. Oshane Thomas, for example, was bowling pretty well and fast, so the plan was to see him out and take on the other bowlers.
On the pitch:
It was a good batting track. It played well throughout the day. You could see the preparation that went into it and it has held up generally throughout the tournament.
On getting another opportunity to play for Scorpions in the West Indies Championship:
The (West Indies Championship) is around the corner, so I am trying to get myself in shape for it. Hopefully, I can go back home, continue to work hard and keep improving and see how it goes from there.
On how much the win meant to the team:
It has been tough for us as a unit. We came together only a week before the tournament to defend the title, so it has been tough for us. After we lost those games early in the tournament, we have looked forward to the last few and determined that we wanted to finish on a high.
-CWI