By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
Ameri Hinds has the best score of 45 in the first three games
After a spirited effort on Sunday that saw them coming up seven runs short, the Combined Virgin Islands fell to 0-3, after a seven wickets loss to Nevis on Tuesday, in the inaugural Leeward Islands Cricket Association T20 Festival, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, in St. John’s Antigua.
Ameri Hinds had 45 and Ronniel Jeffrey 34, in leading the Combined V.I. comprised of players from the British and U.S. Virgin Islands Cricket Associations, to their best total of 152 for 5 on Tuesday. Nevis however, opened with a 92-run partnership in their reply of 156 for 3. Jermaine Cornelius paved the way with 79 and Ross Powell contributed 49.
Playing against the Combined Islands of Montserrat and St. Maarten, the Combined V.I., were set a 127 target for victory, after losing Saturday’s opener to Anguilla by seven wickets, but came up seven runs short, after scoring 119 for 8.
Daniel Doram and Zawandi White, were Anguilla top batsmen with 32 and 31 runs respectively, with Sherwin Peters contributing another 28. Samuel Jones Jr. and Aviskhar Sewkarran, were the Combined V.I. top bowlers, snatching 3 for 15 and 3 for 16 respectively. Garry Prince bagged another 2 for 20.
The Combined V.I. got off to a 13 for 2 start with opener Julian Benett going for four and Doyle Jones for seven, before Ameri Hinds and Sewkarran put on a 49-run third wicket stand. Hinds was bowled by Stevel Rodney for 23. With wickets in hand, Sewkarran couldn’t find another batsman to build another partnership and was stumped by Wicketkeeper Randel Longville, for 34 from 35 balls. Needing 15 runs off the last over, Jones Jr. and Prince could only muster two singles and one four, and came up short of pulling out the victory with 119 for 8.
Michael Palmer led Anguilla’s bowling with 2 for 17. Rodney was 2 for 20 and Shernyl Burns, 2 for 25.
In Saturday’s opener, the Combined V.I. posted 132 for 9 in their 20 overs. Roniel Jeffrey hit 25 from 19 balls, Joel Williams contributed 21 from 18 balls and Doyle Jones added another 20 from the 13 balls he faced.
Anguilla bowler Andros Bowens, grabbed 3 for 23 in his 4 overs on the crease. Oliver Walker bagged 3 for 21 and Chamiqueko Landerfort, took 2 for 21.
Anguilla responded with 127 for 3 in 18 overs, with Chesney Hughes’ 52 not out leading the way. Dimitri Adams had a supporting 33.
Gary Prince conceded 17 runs from his 3 overs and picked up a wicket. Joel Williams also bowled economically with figures of 1 for 18 from his 3 overs, while Samuel Jones Jr. kept things tight with 4 economical overs for 20 runs.
“Obviously, we came up short in the two games, not entirely as we had hoped but there have been some takeaways and we have seen some positives by some of the players,” BVI Cricket Association President and Wicketkeeper, Richard Francis said. “We have seen some players stepping up very well in this tournament, Gray Prince with the ball, Ameri Hinds continue to show good form, batting, fielding and bowling well. The Captain (Jomel) LeFleur has been bowling pretty well, even though he hasn’t taken any wickets, he has been one of the more economical bowlers in the tournament.”
Except for Tuesday’s game, Francis said the bowling unit collectively, has been bowling well and have been restricting teams under 140. He said these have been teams playing at this level for a longer time than his team and are known to be putting up big sores.
“For our bowling unit to be restricting teams to small totals, I think that’s a very good positive for us,” he said. “In recent tournaments, whenever the Combined V.I. or the BVI team has participated, it would have always been blown out losses. So far, the games we have lost have been by 10 runs or less, and I think that’s really a positive for us to know that we are competing neck and neck with these bigger islands.”
