Leeward Islands continued their impressive run through Group A with a four-wicket win over Windward Islands at Coolidge. Leewards did it in style as well, completing the highest successful chase in the competition this year by overhauling Windwards’ total of 293 for 8 with eight balls to spare.
Leewards captain Kieran Powell continued his stupendous form by striking 80 off 84 balls to begin the chase, his fifth 50-plus score in six innings. Along the way, Powell crossed the 500-run barrier for the tournament. Powell added 112 for the first wicket with Montcin Hodge (46) and another 52 with Jermaine Otto (37) for the second before he eventually fell in the 32nd over to Liam Sebastien.
Nkrumah Bonner fell in the 34th to Delorn Johnson to make it 190 for 4, leaving 104 to win but Man of the Match Rahkeem Cornwall entered and struck a blistering 74 not out off 50 balls to get Leewards across the line. Cornwall teamed with Akeal Hosein for an unbeaten 89-run seventh-wicket stand to seal the match.
Hosein finished unbeaten on 26 off 24 balls and helped set up the win in the first innings by taking 4 for 57 with his left-arm spin. His spell included the wickets of Devon Smith, who came into the match with just 30 runs in six innings but finished with 101 for his seventh List A century, and Sunil Ambris for 53 off 36 balls, the wicketkeeper’s sixth half-century in seven games putting him second behind only Powell for the tournament runs lead with 375 runs.
Trinidad & Tobago clinched their spot in the semi-finals with a five-wicket win over Kent at North Sound. Jason Mohammed struck an unbeaten 78 to track down a target of 195 with 8.4 overs to spare and in the process eliminated Kent from contention for the knockout stage.
Mohammed and Denesh Ramdin came together at 65 for 3 and added 127 runs for the fourth wicket, taking T&T within one shot of victory before Ramdin fell to Matt Coles for 56 in the 40th. A runout Roshan Primus was runout off the next ball and Khary Pierre played out a maiden in the 41st before Mohammed struck a boundary two balls into the 42nd to finish the match.
Ravi Rampaul took 4 for 37, doing his damage in a late spell after going wicketless with the new ball, to bowl out Kent for 194 in 46 overs after they were sent in by T&T. Will Gidman top-scored with 50 for Kent and added 75 for the fifth wicket with Alex Blake. But when Rayad Emrit bowled Gidman in the 41st it sparked a collapse of 6 for 21. Rampaul began the 42nd with the wicket of Blake for 36 before working his way through the tail and now has 14 wickets in the tournament, just two behind Ashley Nurse and Alzarri Joseph for the tournament lead.
