Rawlins Blitzes 17-Ball Fifty as Bermuda crush Bahamas
IslandStats.com
Bahamas 82 Bermuda 83/2
Delray Rawlins produced an astonishing display of power-hitting as Bermuda stormed into the North America Cup final with a commanding eight-wicket victory over the Bahamas at the Jimmy Powell Oval in the Cayman Islands.
After repeated weather washouts earlier in the tournament, conditions finally permitted a full contest in the second-versus-third playoff, where the Bahamas won the toss and elected to bat.
The decision quickly backfired against a disciplined Bermuda attack. The Bahamas were skittled for just 82 in 18.5 overs, with Marc Taylor waging a lone battle for his side. Taylor struck an impressive 62, but remarkably finished as the only Bahamian batsman to reach double figures as the rest of the order folded cheaply.
Kwasi James was the pick of the Bermuda bowling unit, wreaking havoc through the top and middle order to claim 4-26 from his four overs, while Dominic Sabir provided brilliant control and penetration to clean up the tail, finishing with 3-14 from 3.5 overs.
Faced with a modest target of 83, Bermuda made light work of the chase courtesy of captain Rawlins, who unleashed a ferocious counter-attack.
The left-hander raced to a blistering half-century, bludgeoning 52 off just 17 deliveries in a whirlwind innings featuring two boundaries and six towering sixes.
Turan Brown provided brief resistance with the ball for the Bahamas, claiming both wickets to fall, but Bermuda cruised to 83-2 inside the powerplay to seal an emphatic eight-wicket triumph with plenty of overs to spare.
The result sets up a mouthwatering showdown on Sunday, with Bermuda advancing to take on tournament hosts Cayman Islands in the final.
Bahamas Inning
..62 (59) Marc Taylor c Terryn Fray b Delray Rawlins ..00 (06) Gregory Taylor II c Delray Rawlins b Dominic Sabir ..08 (20) Festus Benn c Terryn Fray b Kwasi James ..04 (07) Turan Brown c Delray Rawlins b Derrick Brangman ..00 (01) Keith Burrows c Sinclair Smith b Kwasi James ..00 (02) Ricardo Patten b Kwasi James ..00 (01) Everrette Haven LBW Kwasi James ..00 (06) Damion Wint LBW Kamau Leverock ..02 (05) Shawn Fowler b Dominic Sabir .02 (04) Orville Howell Not Out ..00 (02) Mohamed Sarfudeen c Charles Trott b Dominic Sabir ..04 Extras (4w) ..82 Total All Out after 18.5 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1-7 (Gregory Taylor II), 2-27 (Benn), 3-34 (Brown), 4-35 (Burrows), 5-38 (Patton), 6-38 (Haven), 7-77 (Wint), 8-80 (Marc Taylor), 9-82 (Fowler), 10-82 (Sarfudeen)
..13 (09) Dominic Sabir c Damion Wint b Turan Brown ..52 (17) Delray Rawlins c Festus Benn b Turan Brown ..11 (06) Kamau Leverock Not Out ..03 (05) Terryn Fray Not Out ..04 Extras (4w) ..83 for 2 wickets after 6.1 overs
Fall of Wickets: 1-37 (Sabir), 2-70 (Rawlins)
Bahamas Bowlers
1.0-0-13-0 Ricardo Patten 1.0-0-17-0 Everrette Haven 2.0-0-24-2 Turan Brown 1.0-0-17-0 Keith Burrows 1.0-0-11-0 Mohamed Sarfudeen 0.1-0-01-0 Orville Howell
