A DIAMOND in the rough was unearthed at the Kensington Oval last night as Jamaica beat the Windward Islands by nine runs in their day-night cricket match to clinch the third-place prize of US$12 500 in the Caribbean Twenty20.
Watched by chairman of the West Indies selectors, Clyde Butts, left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterrell madea favourable impression on his T20 debut.
The strapping 21-year-old took two wickets in four lively overs for just 17 runs as the Windwards were restricted to 144 for nine, chasing Jamaica’s challenging 153 for eight.
Batting first on winning the toss, Jamaica, 62 for one at the halfway stage, got the necessary acceleration from stocky middle-order batsman Danza Hyatt. He clobbered three sixes and two fours in an unbeaten 43 off just 21 balls.
Man Of The Match Hyatt built on an opening stand of 57 in nine overs by Xavier Marshall, who smashed four sixes in 36 off 33 balls and Shawn Findlay (25, 30 balls, 1×6).
He then added exactly 50 for the third wicket with Marlon Samuels in just 3.5 overs as Jamaica changed gears once Windwards captain Darren Sammy introduced himself.
Sammy, who has bowled unimpressively throughout the Barbados leg of the tournament, was greeted by a six over long on by the left-handed Findlay.
Marshall also launched into Sammy with sixes over long-off and long-on in his second over, and when leg-spinner Keron Cottoy replaced Sammy, he was also smashed over long-on and into the 3Ws Stand for another six.
But just when he was in full flow, with four sixes, Marshall backed up too far as his partner Findlay drove back a ball to Cottoy and the bowler deflected it onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Marshall out of his crease.
After Sammy switched himself to the Malcolm Marshall End (southern end), Samuels smashed him for another straight six. But he was bowled for 19 by the impressive pacer Nelon Pascal, who ended with three for 21.
Findlay was then bowled by Peters but when the same bowler returned for a second spell, he conceded 20 runs in the 15th over of the innings as Hyatt swung him for two sixes.
In the Windwards’ reply, the imposing six-footer Cotterell gained a LBW verdict against Johnson Charles, while seamer David Bernard got rid of both Andre Fletcher and Devon Smith for ten and 15 respectively to leave the Windwards in early strife at 37 for three in the ninth over.
Sammy and Lyndon Lawrence, who topscored with 36 (3×4, 27 balls) then quickly added 36 runs in 3.4 overs.
But shortly after pulling leg-spinner Odean Brown’s first ball for a flat six over mid-wicket, Sammy was bowled by the first ball of the next over from Andre Russell.
Brown trapped Keddy Lesporis leg before wicket for ten as he attempted a paddle sweep.
Left-hander Gary Mathurin hit two fours in a breezy 25 off only 14 balls, but Bernard, who finished with three for 25, returned for a second spell, to remove him.
Brown induced Matthew and Lawrence to sky catches, and Cotterell rattled Peters’ stumps as the Windwards, with 35 runs needed off the last three overs, lost four wickets for a mere five runs, slipping from 119 for five to 124 for nine.
Last man Cottoy enjoyed himself with a four and a nonchalant pull for six over wide long-on from the final ball of the match by the wayward Russell, who conceded 16 of the 26 runs which the Windwards had needed off the last over.
The Windwards had the consolation of picking up the US$10 000 fourth-
