Regional Super50 Cup bowls off.
Man-of-the-Match Kevin Stoute gathers runs through the on side during his half-century.
Man-of-the-Match Kevin Stoute gathers runs through the on side during his half-century.

Stoute, Ambris inspire Volcanoes victory despite Kumar hundred

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Nitish Kumar’s superb hundred went in vain as Windward Islands Volcanoes raised the curtain on the Regional Super50 Cup with a 31-run win over Leeward Islands Hurricanes here Sunday. Asked to chase a challenging 285 at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the right-handed Kumar carved out a polished 108 off 105 balls but was one of one of five wickets to fall for 27 runs as Hurricanes were dismissed for 253 in the 48th over. Opener Ross Powell chipped in with 46 off 52 deliveries but captain Montin Hodge’s 28 proved a labour, requiring 42 balls. Left-arm spinner Larry Edward (2-31) along with left-arm seamer Preston McSween (2-47) and leg-spinner Kerron Cottoy (2-52) all finished with two wickets each.
Barbadian all-rounder Kevin Stoute had earlier marked his debut for Volcanoes with a Man-of-the-Match 86 off 95 deliveries to power them to 284 all out in the final over.
Man-of-the-Match Kevin Stoute gathers runs through the on side during his half-century.

Captain Sunil Ambris put aside his lean form on the recent tour of Bangladesh to hit 70 off 86 deliveries while Emmanuel Stewart supported with 27 off 29 balls.
Seamer Quinton Boatswain led the attack with four for 45 while pacer Sheeno Berridge (3-65) and West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr (3-79) picked up three wickets apiece.
“I am very happy. It’s always great to start on a winning note,” Ambris said in a post-match interview.
“I thought we played not the best game of cricket but a decent game and I think we can only get better from here.”
He added: “I would’ve taken this at the start of the game. It’s a win, a convincing win at that.”

Hodge said Hurricanes had lost wickets at critical times during the run chase.
“With 284 to chase, we got off to not the best start losing Kieran Powell early but I think Keacy (Carty) and Ross Powell did a good job in building a partnership,” he noted.
“I think we just lost too many wickets in clusters and it pegged us back a bit.” Sent in, Volcanoes slipped to 40 for two in the seventh over before Stoute arrived to anchor two excellent partnerships, first adding 119 for the third with Ambris and then a further 68 with Stewart.
Stoute, a former Barbados captain, struck half-dozen fours and four sixes while Ambris notched eight fours and a six before perishing in the 31st over.
With a century in sight, Stoute played onto Walsh in the 42nd over and Stewart holed out in the deep in the 43rd after punching a couple of sixes, and the lower order all chipped in to take the innings deep.

In reply, Hurricanes were set back in the second over when Kieran Powell (1) edged a drive at fast bowler Ryan John to be taken high at first slip by Desron Maloney with two runs on the board.
Ross Powell, who counted six fours, then added 49 for the second wicket with Carty and a further 43 for the third with Kumar before Edwards prised out both to leave the innings in limbo on 115 for four in the 22nd over. Kumar stablised the innings, striking eight fours and two sixes en route to reaching three figures off 96 balls in the 42nd over.
Along the way, he posted 79 for the fifth wicket with Hodge and 32 for the sixth with Terrance Warde (9) before Cottoy knocked over both to trigger the final slide.

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