IT WAS NOTHING like we’ve seen before.
In the short history of the Caribbean Twenty20, there have been some remarkable finishes, but last night’s Caribbean Twenty20 contest between Barbados acbizarre as they come.
A match that produced countless twists and turns ended in a heart-breaking defeat for Barbados in a decisive Super Over after the two teams played to a sensational tie at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in St Antigua.
Barbados could only blame themselves after a performance that would have forced many television viewers to throw their dinner in the garbage.
What they displayed at crunch time was nothing short of ineptness – and it happened more than once, leading to glum faces who could not believe what had transpired.
Self-destructed With two runs required from four balls, with the benefit of two wickets in hand, it should have been a straightforward victory for Barbados. For the second time in the match, however, they pressed the self-destruct button against the English Twenty20 champions.
Carlo Morris, who had brought them back into the game with a six off the last ball of the penultimate over when 15 runs were needed from seven balls, perished to a catch in the deep.
Ashley Nurse, who also kept them in the hunt with a six from the first ball of the last over against the impressive fast bowler Simon Jones, was kept scoreless from the next ball.
It meant that two runs were needed from two balls and when a leg bye was taken from the penultimate ball, last man Tino Best was given the responsibility of achieving the winning run off the final ball.
Jones served up a full toss that Best should have been able to play anywhere he wanted but all he could do was give a diving catch to the Johannes Myburgh at point.
As Hampshire jubilantly celebrated the tie – both teams made 136 – after Barbados gifted them a lifeline, the drama that followed was enough for fans to question whether some of the players had lost their brains.
For the Super Over, Barbados nominated Dwayne Smith, Carlo Morris and Alcindo Holder to face up against Jones, the former England fast bowler who finished the first segment of the match with the extraordinary figures of 4-1-10-4.
Smith missed a swing off the first ball and helped the next down the throat of deep backward square, while Morris’ big swing to the leg side resulted in a catch on the off side. In theory, Barbados were dismissed for zero and Hampshire needed to score just one run from their six balls.
Script changed
When Sean Irvine inexplicably missed a reverse sweep against the first ball from left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, the script changed once again and another wicket before the end of the over would have given Barbados victory on account of hitting more sixes.
James Vince uncertainly survived two balls before a full toss from Benn eased Hampshire to victory that atoned for their surprising loss to Canada on Tuesday.
In a match that shifted back and forth repeatedly, Hampshire made 136 for three in their turn at the crease and it represented something of a fightback for Barbados after the tourists failed to accelerate from their half-way position of 68 without loss.
Barbados might have been behind the eight ball then they reached 45 for two from ten overs, but opener Smith provided the impetus at the right time during an innings of 50 off 37 balls.
He was just about beginning to find his range by smashing three sixes in the 15th over that yielded 21 runs and left Barbados requiring 35 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
A few wickets and a few tight overs increased the pressure. Smith himself was bowled from an almost nondescript stroke and the momentum was suddenly lost.
Morris and Nurse regained it before the match changed course again – not for the final time. (HG)
SCOREBOARD:
HAMPSHIRE
*J Adams c Carter b Hinds 39
J Myburgh c Edwards b Hinds 37
J Vince c Carter b Benn 6
S Ervine not out 32
L Dawson not out 4
Extras (b4, lb11, w1, nb2) 18
TOTAL (3 wkts – 20 overs) 136
Fall of wickets: 1-85 (Myburgh, 13.2 overs), 2-89 (Adams, 14), 3-116 (Vince, 18.2).
Did not bat: B Howell, C Wood,
H Riazuddin, +M Bates, D Briggs, S Jones.
Bowling: Benn 3-0-16-1, Best 3-1-7-0, Searles 2-0-22-0, Hinds 4-0-21-2, Brathwaite 4-0-19-0, Nurse 3-0-24-0, Smith 1-0-12-0.
BARBADOS
D Smith b Riazuddin 50
K Edwards c Dawson b Jones 0
J Carter c wk Bates b Jones 6
A Holder run out 24
S Benn c Ervine b Briggs 6
J Searles c Wood b Riazuddin 8
+C Morris c Dawson b Jones 17
*R Hinds b Wood 0
C Brathwaite b Wood 6
A Nurse not out 7
T Best c Myburgh b Jones 0
Extras (b2, lb5, w5) 12
TOTAL (all out – 20 overs) 136
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Edwards, 0.3 overs), 2-16 (Carter, 4.3), 3-58 (Holder, 11.5),
4-71 (Benn, 12.5), 5-103 (Smith, 15.2),
6-104 (Searles, 16), 7-105 (Hinds, 16.1),
8-119 (Brathwaite, 18.3), 9-135
(Morris, 19.3), 10-136 (Best, 20)
Bowling: Jones 4-1-10-4, Briggs 4-0-28-1, Riazuddin 4-0-17-2, Wood 4-0-33-2, Myburgh 3-0-20-0, Ervine 1-0-21-0.
Result: Hampshire won via Super
over eliminator.
Points: Hampshire 4, Barbados 0
Toss: Hampshire.
Player Of The Match: Simon Jones.
Umpires: Goaland Greaves, Peter Nero.
TV replays: Norman Malcolm.
