…sends Marooners to Super 50 final

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – The Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners qualified for their second final in a regional competition when they shocked title favourites Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by seven wickets in the second semifinal of the Regional Super50 at Kensington Oval here yesterday.

Led by a spectacular bowling performance from opening bowler Akeem Jordan, the Marooners eased to a comfortable victory and booked their spot in tomorrow’s final against the Guyana Jaguars.

Coincidentally, in their first-ever final appearance at the regional level back in 2013, the Marooners had also dismissed T&T for 90-odd on their way to defeating them in the semi-finals.

This time around, it was Jordan’s opening spell which ripped the heart out of the Red Force’s top order to reduce the star-studded outfit to shreds in a mesmerising display of medium pace bowling.

The dismissal of Lendl Simmons, who had come into the match with three half-centuries under his belt, prompted an unimaginable batting collapse by the Red Force.

The CCC Marooners are into their second regional final after easily defeating the T&T Red Force.

After scoring just two runs, Simmons was deceived by a beautiful delivery outside off-stump from pacer Jermaine Levy, which he could only edge behind to wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo to leave the score three for one.

In his second over and third of the match, Jordan struck three times within the space of five balls, to derail the Red Force’s innings.

In his second ball of the over, Jordan tempted Sunil Narine to fish outside his off-stump and was caught behind by Jangoo for one without a run being added to the score. And three balls later Jason Mohammed was undone by a beautiful out-swinger to be out for a duck to give Jangoo his third catch of the innings.

Captain Denesh Ramdin only lasted one ball, chipping Jordan’s last ball of the over to Nicholas Kirton at mid-on, as the Red Force slumped to three for four.

Nicholas Pooran scored nine before his attempted wild slash resulted in a catch behind to Jangoo as Jordan grabbed his fourth wicket.

Jordan then capped off his spell with a perfectly-bowled in-swinger to remove the off-stump of Darren Bravo after the left-hander had shouldered arms to leave the score 25 for six.

Veterans Dwayne Bravo, who top-scored with 27 and Kieron Pollard (16) – two of only three batsmen to score in double figures – then tried to steady the Red Force during a seventh-wicket partnership of 33.

But once Pollard holed out to long-on as he tried to clear the ropes, the end came swiftly, as 58 for seven soon became 66 for eight when Bravo could only steer Carlos Brathwaite’s high bouncer to square leg where Jonathan Drakes took an easy catch.

Rayad Emrit’s unbeaten knock of 15 threatened briefly to carry them over the 100-mark, before he ran out of partners.

The Marooners then made light work of their target, despite losing two early wickets.

Opener Kyle Corbin edged a defensive prod to first slip where Dwayne Bravo took a stunning one-handed catch to his right off the bowling of Sunil Narine with the score on three, and Jangoo was caught at long-on by Emrit running back for 11, as CCC stumbled to 29 for two.

However, once Drakes was dismissed, opener Kjorn Ottley, who stroked an unbeaten 39 and Brathwaite who finished on 29 not out off just 22 balls, carried the Marooners to victory in less than 17 overs.

RED FORCE innings
L. Simmons c Jangoo b Levy 2
S. Narine c Jangoo b Jordan 1
D. Bravo b Jordan 6
J. Mohammed c Jangoo b Jordan 0
D. Ramdin c Kirton b Jordan 0
N. Pooran c Jangoo b Jordan 9
DJ Bravo c Drakes b Brathwaite 27
K. Pollard c Kirton b KH Ottley 16
R. Emrit not out 15
K. Pierre c Ottley b Jaggesar 9
R. Rampaul c Drakes b KH Ottley 0
Extras: (lb-1, w-6) 7
Total: (all out, 33 overs) 92
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-3, 3-3, 4-3, 5-20, 6-25, 7-58, 8-66, 9-89.
Bowling: Jordan 10-4-18-5, Levy 5-0-24-1, Jaggesar 6-1-15-1, Brathwaite 5-0-19-1, KH Ottley 7-0-15-2.

MAROONERS innings
K. Corbin c Bravo b Narine 2
KJ Ottley not out 39
A. Jangoo c Emrit b Rampaul 11
J. Drakes lbw b Pierre 3
C. Brathwaite not out 29
Extras: (w-9) 9
Total: (3 wkts, 16.2 overs) 93
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-29, 3-52.
Bowling: Narine 8-2-36-1, Rampaul 3-0-15-1, Pierre 5.2-0-42-1.
Man-of-the-Match: Akeem Jordan.