Brown crashes winning four to KO plucky HPC

Chasing 177 to win, the Jamaicans crossed the finish line with one ball remaining in the second semi-final at the Guyana National Stadium when Odean Brown crashed the penultimate delivery of the match, bowled coincidentally by compatriot Nkrumah Bonner, for four straight down the ground.

Several of the Jamaica batsmen got starts, but failed to carry on - Jermaine Blackwood led the way with 31, André Russell scored 24, Tamar Lambert and Shawn Findlay got 21 apiece, and Xavier Marshall added 20.

Jason Holder was the most successful HPC bowler with three wickets for 52 runs from 11 overs, and Veerasammy Permaul supported with two for 34 from 12 overs.

The result meant that Jamaica face familiar rivals Trinidad and Tobago today at the same venue to decide the title.

Permaul has also played a crucial role with the bat, hitting the top score of 39 not out and Keron Cottoy gathered 35, engineering a recovery that helped the HPC post a respectable total 176 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs after they chose to bat.

Brandon Bess gave the HPC greater belief that they could accomplish an upset when he had Chris Gayle caught at second slip for six in the sixth over.

The introduction of Jason Holder and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul kept scoring at a premium and Jamaica stumbled to 61 for three in the 23rd over, after Kennar Lewis was caught at mid-wicket for 17 off Permaul in the 16th over, and Marshall was spectacularly bowled by Gabriel.

steadying influence

Tamar Lambert came to the crease and brought his steadying influence, adding 42 with Blackwood to keep Jamaica's hopes alive. He was run out in the 37th over when Blackwood failed to respond to his call for a second run and they both ended up in the same crease.

Blackwood then made matters worse when he lofted a delivery from Holder and was caught at long-on in the 39th over, leaving Jamaica 104 for five.

A cameo from Findlay that included two sixes from 16 balls kept Jamaica moving in the right direction, but he and Chadwick Walton fell within the space of 10 deliveries to leave at 130 for seven.

André Russell entered and batted with typical confidence, striking three fours from 14 balls to advance the score, but he was lbw to Permaul in the 47th over; and Nikita Miller lost his nerve and his wicket, when he charged down the pitch to Bonner, swung, missed, and was stumped in the 48th over.

This left Brown and Santokie to get 13 runs from the last 13 balls and they scraped through to put Jamaica into the Regional Super50 final for the first time in four years.

Earlier, things looked pretty straightforward for the Jamaicans until Permaul and Cottoy added 57 for the eighth wicket, after the spin duo of Miller and Brown shared four wickets in the space of 34 balls, leaving the HPC reeling on 84 for seven in the 27th over.

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Chandrika, 2.1 overs); 2-12 (Bonner, 2.4); 3-23 (Corbin, 6.1); 4-72 (+Thomas, 21.2); 5-82 (Brooks, 24.6); 6-84 (Dowrich, 25.6); 7-84 (Holder, 26.5); 8-141 (Cottoy, 42.3); 9-153 (Gabriel, 43.5).

Bowling: Santokie 12-0-41-3 (w6); Russell 10-2-30-0 (nb1, w1); Miller 12-2-26-2; Findlay 2-0-12-0; Brown 10-1-40-2 (w2);Gayle 4-0-16-1 (w2).

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Gayle, 5.4 overs); 2-44 (Lewis, 15.1); 3-61 (Marshall, 22.4); 4-103 (Lambert, 36.5); 5-104 (Blackwood, 38.1); 6-121 (+Walton, 40.5); 7-130 (Findlay, 42.2); 8-164 (Russell, 46.4); 9-164 (Miller, 47.5).

Bowling: Gabriel 8-2-29-1 (nb1, w1); Bess 5-0-21-1 (w3); Holder 11-0-52-3 (w1); Permaul 12-1-34-2; Cottoy 7-2-16-0 (w1); Bonner 6.5-1-21-1.

Result: Jamaica won by one wicket (one ball remaining)

Series: Jamaica advance to the final

Toss: HPC

Man-of-the-Match: K. Santokie (Jamaica)

Umpires: N. Duguid, J. Wilson

TV umpire: P. Nero

Match referee: A. Griffith

Reserve umpire: G. Brathwaite