HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – Although veteran Guyanese all-rounder Lennox Cush failed with the bat in the final, he played a key role in the United States winning the World Cricket League Americas Region Division One Twenty20 tournament at the National Sports Centre on Sunday when they beat Canada by five wickets in a low-scoring match.
Cush, 35, almost single-handedly guided the US into the final, making 65 before he was run-out in the closing stages as his side pulled off a dramatic last-ball semi-final victory that broke the hearts of Bermuda, who later slumped to a two-wicket defeat to the Cayman Islands in the playoff for third and fourth places.
Canada never recovered after being asked to bat first in the final, crashing to 16 for four before Sandeep Jyoti (43) and Jimmy Hansra (19) fashioned a partial recovery with a fifth-wicket stand of 44.
But nobody else reached double figures as Canada, who reached the final by beating the Cayman Islands by five wickets at St David’s, folded for 100 in the final over.
Skipper Steve Massiah, a Guyanese, was the pick of the US attack with three for 21, while Cush picked up two for 10. There were also two wickets apiece for Jamaicans Timroy Allen and Orlando Baker.
US lost two quick wickets in reply but Sushil Nadkarni (25) and Baker (21) steadied the innings before Aditya Thyagarajan (27 not out) and Jamaican Carl Wright (21 not out) saw their side home, inflicting Canada’s only defeat of the tournament.
Hiral Patel took two for 17 and Khurram Chohan two for 19 for Canada.
Bermuda appeared on course for a place in the final when they posted 137 for five before reducing the US to 65 for six but opener Cush proved a thorn in their side and he found a crucial partner in Rashard Marshall, the pair adding 56 before Cush was run-out. His 53-ball 65 included five fours and four sixes.
Allen then fell for a duck and the US still required 14 to win as Jim West prepared to bowl the final over. But Marshall (25 not out) hit a six to help them on their way and he and Muhammad Ghous (four not out) scrambled a single off the final delivery to win the match.
Earlier, skipper David Hemp top-scored with 47 but Bermuda’s hopes of reaching 150 faded after Allen bowled Hemp and then had Janeiro Tucker caught for five a run later. Allen finished with two for 14.
In the other semi-final at St David’s, Cayman Islands slumped to 41 for six against Canada as opening bowler Chohan claimed five for five but skipper Saheed Mohamed and Conroy Wright produced a fighting unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 112 to guide their side to a competitive 153 for six.
Mohamed struck five fours and four sixes in his 52-ball 62 not out while Wright finished on 43 not out.
Although Kevin Bazil took two for 30, Canada eased home with 20 balls to spare as Jyoti struck three fours and four sixes in an unbeaten 36-ball 58. Guyanese Sunil Dhaniram made 30 and skipper Rizwan Cheema, 25.
Cayman Islands restricted Bermuda to 139 for eight in the playoff for minor places at St David’s and then rallied to reach their target with five balls to spare.
Irving Romaine (42), Hemp (25) and Tucker (21) were the main contributors to the Bermuda total. There were two wickets apiece for Marlon Bryan, Bazil and Ryan Bovell.
Stephen Dill picked up three early wickets for Bermuda but skipper Mohamed, who was eighth out for 40 with 10 runs required, led the recovery and helped complete a miserable day for the hosts.