Marooners beat Jaguars to clinch maiden title

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners etched their names in Caribbean cricket history when they brushed aside multiple-time champions Guyana Jaguars by six wickets yesterday to capture their first-ever Regional Super50 title.

Playing in the final at the storied Kensington Oval, Marooners chased down a modest target of 204, to get home in the 38th over and crown an outstanding campaign, which had seen them top Group B of the preliminary round.

Opener Kyle Corbin, averaging a paltry 19 in the tournament, put aside his wretched form and top-scored with an aggressive 72 off 53 deliveries, while Kjorn Ottley chipped in with 45.

However, it was captain Carlos Brathwaite, who leaves for West Indies duty in India today, who appropriately put the finishing touches on the victory with a typically bold unbeaten 30 off 25 balls.

The victory also made amends for Marooners' disappointment in their only previous 50-overs final to date, when they lost to Windward Islands at the same venue five years ago.

Jaguars had earlier put themselves under pressure with an underwhelming batting performance, after they were sent in on a grassy strip.

Left-hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of Test legend Shiv Chanderpaul, top-scored with 56 from 95 balls but apart from West Indies all-rounder Raymon Reifer who scored 38, no other batsman put their hand up.

DIDTHEDAMAGE

Not for the first time, Marooners seamers did the damage, with Jermaine Levy picking up four for 43, Brathwaite snaring three for 42, and new-ball bowler Akeem Jordan ending with two for 30.

Chasing their first title in 13 years, Jaguars lost Trevon Griffith after the left-hander struck 20 off 22 balls, caught on the ropes at mid-wicket off Jordan in the seventh over, attempting his second six after he had put on 27 with Chanderpaul.

Dropped on seven by Corbin at slip off Jordan in the 11th over, Chanderpaul anchored a series of small partnerships, adding 24 for the second wicket with captain Leon Johnson (14), 37 for the third wicket with Chris Barnwell (15) and 31 for the fourth wicket with Reifer.

But with partnerships building on each occasion, wickets fell at critical moments.