ICC Americas registered their first win since entering the Regional Super50 competition in 2016, beating Combined Campuses and Colleges by 72 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method at Windward Park. It ended a streak of ten losses – five matches in 2016 and their first five matches in 2017 – for the squad comprised of Bermuda, Canada and USA players.
Captain Nitish Kumar top-scored with 80 off 100 balls for ICC Americas in their total of 265 after choosing to bat first. Two others also crossed 50 in the innings for ICC Americas, beginning with opener Kamau Leverock‘s 55 and ending with Timroy Allen‘s 69 off 73 balls before he fell in the second to last over. Kumar bridged both ends of the innings with his knock, adding 77 for the second wicket with Leverock after the early loss of Akeem Dodson.
Offspinning allrounder Vikash Mohan removed Leverock in the 18th over, then rattled the middle-order with a double-strike in the 26th over by claiming Srimantha Wijeratne and Hamza Tariq in the space of three balls to make it 121 for 5. A 97-run stand between Kumar and Allen for the sixth wicket righted the ship for ICC Americas, one which was interrupted by an hour rain delay at 186 for 5 in the 39th over. The pair stayed aggressive after play resumed, adding another 32 in 3.4 overs before Kumar fell but not before helping to forge the two biggest partnerships for ICC Americas in the entire tournament.
Allen fell to Nino Henry in the 49th and Jermaine Levy wiped out the tail with three wickets in the 50th to end with figures of 4 for 22 in five overs. However, the late collapse wound up not hurting ICC Americas in the end thanks to a superb performance from their spin attack, sparked by Kumar.
Amir Jangoo and Mark Deyal got CCC off to a brisk start in reply, adding 41 in 7.3 overs before Kumar struck to dislodge Jangoo for 16. Mohan and Deyal added 54 for the second wicket before Mohan fell for 30, with offspinner Nikhil Dutta inducing a return catch. Three balls later, play was halted at the end of the 20th over for another rain delay at 97 for 2 and CCC ahead of the D/L par score of 89.
However, the delay only lasted for 18 minutes with two overs deducted and a revised target of 260 for CCC. Legspinner Timil Patel struck on back-to-back balls in the 25th over to remove Kyle Corbin and Cassius Burton, putting ICC Americas in front on the D/L calculation in the event rain returned. Dutta struck again in the 26th to remove Ryan Hinds before Timil delivered a major blow in the 31st, knocking over Deyal for 66 to leave the tail exposed at 133 for 6.
Dutta took one more to finish with 3 for 32 and left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar wiped out the tail with two wickets as CCC were bowled out for 187 in the 44th over. Kumar was named Man of the Match for his efforts while Timil ended with figures of 3 for 38.
