A last-wicket stand of 85 between Man-of-the-Match Jeavor Royal and Fabian Allen paved the way for Jamaica Scorpions close six-run-win by Duckworth/Lewis over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes earlier today.
It was the first win for the Jamaican who has already been eliminated from the final four and came in the unlikeliest of manners.
Put into bat, Jamaica were looking likely to lose their fourth game in a row at 135 for 9 as Quinton Boatswain (2-35), Ashmead Nedd (3-23) and Terance Ward (2-54) scythed through the fragile Jamaican batting.
Only Paul Palmer (23) and Rovman Powell (29) posed any resistance to the Leewards’ bowling until Royal and Allen came together mounting an 85-run 10th wicket partnership that took Jamaica to 220 all out.
Allen scored 44 from 42 balls with three sixes and three fours before he was last out. Royal remained unbeaten on 38 from 40 balls from which he got two sixes and two fours.
Chasing a modest 221, the Leewards were 72 for 3 when Nitish Kumar and Devon Thomas looked to steer the team towards victory with a fourth-wicket stand of 64 when Jamie Merchant, who took 3-44, dismissed Kumar for 51.
Thomas eventually fell for 44 as the Leewards stumbled to 152 for 6, needing a further 69 from the remaining 71 balls.
Colin Archibald and Terance Ward held up the Jamaicans with an eighth-wicket stand of 27 but then the weather intervened shortly after Rovman Powell got Archibald for 18.
Royal, who took the wickets of Kieran Powell for 17 and Kacey Carty for 13, returned 2-31 to complete his man-of-the-match performance.