Royal Sunday

CMC – Man-of-the-Match Rahkeem Cornwall churned out an astonishing hundred as Barbados Royals completed the third-highest run chase in Caribbean Premier League history with a remarkable eight-wicket victory over luckless St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, on the last day of matches at Kensington Oval in Barbados late Sunday.

Meanwhile, Barbados Royals Women ended their home leg unbeaten, producing another stellar run chase to beat Guyana Amazon Warriors by three wickets, in the third game of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.

Asked to overhaul 221 in the Barbados Royals versus St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots match, the hosts stormed to their target with 11 balls to spare, with the burly Cornwall smashing 102 off 48 deliveries to notch his maiden Twenty20 hundred.

The 30-year-old clobbered four fours and a dozen sixes, racing to his half-century off just 23 balls with three fours and half-dozen sixes, before reaching triple figures off another 22 balls.

When he retired in the 16th over, Royals were already in sight of victory at 190 for two, and captain Rovman Powell finished off the chase with 26-ball unbeaten 49, completing a topsy-turvy home leg where the hosts won two and lost two of their four matches.

“I expected the innings [from Cornwall] but the longevity of it is what I didn’t expect,” said Powell.
“For him to go so long, it’s remarkable. It was a fantastic knock, one of the best I have ever seen.”

Patriots appeared out of sight after they posted an impressive 220 for four from their 20 overs, as they continued their bid for their opening win of the campaign.

They were propelled by a 27-ball 65 from captain Sherfane Rutherford and a hasty 63 off 36 deliveries from opener Will Smeed, while Andre Fletcher lashed 56 off 37 balls and Jyd Goolie, a 16-ball 22.

Sent in, their enjoyed an exhilarating start, Smeed counting five fours and four sixes and Fletcher pummeling seven fours and a six in putting together a 115-run, first wicket stand.

When off-spinner Cornwall (2-27) removed both in the space of 13 deliveries, the left-handed Rutherford controlled the remainder of the innings beautifully, posting 31 for the third wicket with Goolie and a further 35 for the fourth with Corbin Bosch (5).Rutherford struck five fours and five sixes and reached his fifty off 24 deliveries in the final over from seamer Carlos Brathwaite which leaked 20 runs.

In reply, Cornwall took charge of the chase from the outset, putting on 41 for the first wicket with Kyle Mayers (22) before staging a superb 86-run, second wicket stand with Laurie Evans (24).

Their enterprise left Royals on 120 for one at the half-way stage superbly poised to easily complete the run chase, and Cornwall ensured there were no hiccups as he continued to plunder the Patriots bowlers in adding another 68 for the third wicket with Powell before retiring.

Cornwall raised his hundred in style in the 15th over, blasting the first delivery from seamer Benny Howell for a straight six to move to 99 before punching the next ball – a full toss – to long on for a single.

The win was Royals’ third in six games, leaving them fourth on seven points while Patriots continued at the bottom on two points without a single victory in eight attempts.

The tournament resumes Tuesday in Port of Spain.

In the Women’s Caribbean Premier League match, the Royals reached their target of 147 with four balls to spare, to log their third straight win ahead of the Trinidad and Tobago leg beginning next Tuesday.

Erin Burns inspired the successful chase – the third in a row for the home side – with an unbeaten 53 from 41 deliveries, lashing half-dozen fours, while captain Hayley Matthews struck 22 at the top of the order.

The game was in the balance, however, when Matthews perished in the seventh over at 39 for three, after punching three fours in a 19-ball knock.

Burns then came to her side’s rescue, putting on 29 for the fourth with Laura Harris (18), 30 for the sixth wicket with Aaliyah Alleyne (10) and a critical 42 for in an unbroken eighth wicket stand with Amanda-Jade Wellington (15 not out).

Opting to bat first earlier, opener Sophie Devine (42), Natasha McLean (38) and Suzie Bates (30) all chipped in as Amazon Warriors reached 146 for four off 20 overs.

Devine faced 40 balls and struck half-dozen sixes, anchoring the innings in an opening stand of 74 with Bates who counted three fours in a 26-ball knock.

Australian Burns, fittingly adjudged Player-of-the-Match, then struck twice to trigger a wobble as three wickets went down for 13 runs in 19 deliveries.

However, Natasha McLean then thumped three fours and three sixes in a 57-run, fourth-wicket stand with Shemaine Campbelle (19 not out), to provide momentum at the back end.

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