BASSETERRE—Rookie Akshaya Persaud’s maiden half-century stunned Barbados Pride and gave reigning champions CCC Marooners their first win of the Regional Super50 here Saturday.
Chasing a modest 173 for victory in a day/night Group A fixture at Warner Park, Marooners appeared headed for defeat at 82 for five in the 26th over before the left-handed Persaud produced a composed, unbeaten 51 to see them to a come-from-behind four-wicket victory.
Sadique Henry struck a breezy 30 while Akeem Jordan chipped in with a crucial 29 in a 58-run sixth wicket stand with Persaud which changed the game’s complexion entirely.
Jordan had earlier undermined Pride with his lively pace, snatching four for 21 as the innings folded disappointingly for 172 in the 44th over.
Off-spinner Larry Joseph chipped in with three for 25 while left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh finished with two for 29.
Captain Jonathan Carter and Nicholas Kirton both top-scored with 42 while all-rounder Kyle Mayers struck 27 but Pride declined from 116 for four in the 29th over, to lose their last six wickets for 56 runs.
Jordan engineered the two early breakthroughs for CCC, getting Leniko Boucher to chop on to the 11th ball of the day without scoring and then removing the other opener Kjorn Ottley for seven, caught at the wicket driving in the sixth over.
Carter counted four fours off 71 balls while fellow left-hander Kirton struck five fours and a six off 56 balls as they repaired the damage in a 67-run, third-wicket stand.
However, Joseph struck twice in the 21st over to rock Pride, trapping Kirton lbw on the backfoot and then inducing new batsman Tevyn Walcott to hole out to long-on without scoring.
Carter tried to rebuild again in a 30-run, fifth-wicket stand with Mayers who continued the effort by adding a further 27 for the sixth with Shamar Springer (7).
But once Carter edged Joseph to Jordan at slip in the 29th over and Mayers was bowled by Persaud in the 34th after striking three fours and a six, Pride lost their last five wickets for 29 runs.
In reply, Marooners looked in decent shape at 47 for one before losing dramatically losing four wickets for 35 runs in quick time.
Opener Romaine Morrison (22) was involved in a second-wicket stand of 29 with Henry before losing his composure and slicing a swipe at pacer Miguel Cummins to Mayers at third man in the 16th over
With one run added in the next over, Paul Palmer edged a defensive stroke at speedster Chemar Holder to Ashley Nurse at first slip for one.
Odaine McCatty (4) and Henry then followed to leave CCC in dire straits but Persaud arrived to stroke four fours and two sixes in a superb 79-ball knock to deny Barbados.
Jordan struck three fours in a 36-ball innings and even when he departed in the 37th over, opener Abhijai Mansingh (14 not out) who was earlier forced off injured in the third over, returned to post 33 in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand with Persaud which put Marooners over the line. (CMC)
Summarised results
Group A
Warner Park, St Kitts
BARBADOS PRIDE 172 all out (43.4) (Jonathan Carter 42, Nicholas Kirton 42, Kyle Mayers 27; Akeem Jordan 4-21, Larry Joseph 3-25) v CCC MAROONERS 173-6 (47) (Akshaya Persaud 51 no, Sadique Henry 30, Akeem Jordan 29; Ashley Nurse 2-29, Chemar Holder 2-30)
Result: Marooners won by 4 wkts
Group B (Trinidad)
At Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba:
UNITED STATES 109 all out (19.4) (Nisarg Patel 32; Ashmead Nedd 3-12, Dominic Drakes 3-17) v CWI EMERGING PLAYERS 110-4 (17.4) (Joshua DaSilva 62 no, Yannic Cariah 24 no; Karima Gore 2-29)
Result: Emerging Players won by 6 wkts (CMC)
