Montserrat v Nevis, Stanford 20/20

Nevis send Montserrat crashing out

Cricinfo staff

February 8, 2008

Nevis 185 for 6 (Simmonds 37, Smithen 36, Morton 36) beat Montserrat 111 (Semper 35, Byron 3-21) by 74 runs
Scorecard

	Runako Morton hit 36 off 29 deliveries, which included three fours and a six © Stanford 20/20

Last year's semi-finalists Nevis sealed a place in the quarter-finals of season two of the Standford 20/20 with a 74-run win over Montserrat in Coolidge. Set a tough 186 to win, Montserrat were steamrolled for 111 in 16.4 overs and were knocked out of the tournament.

Electing to bat first, Nevis ticked along at a fine rate despite losing Javia Liburd for 10. Tonito Willett and Carlon Smither gave the new ball a spanking - Smithen clubbed Trevor Semper's offspin for 24 in one over and Willett struck three consecutive boundaries off pacer Lionel Baker - and raised 50 in four overs, the fastest a team has done so this season.

A smart double-change in the sixth over from Davon Williams, Montserrat's captain, worked as damage control. After facing a dot ball from Brian Stephney, Willett pushed the second to cover-point and took off for a quick single, but the hesitant Smithen was run out. Two deliveries later, Willett lobbed a return catch to the bowler's left to make it 74 for 3. Smithen (36 from 25 balls) and Willett (26 off 13) had put on 56 from just 23 deliveries.

If Montserrat thought they'd done enough, they had another thing coming. Joel Simmonds, Nevis' wicketkeeping captain, joined international Runako Morton and the two scored at more than a run-a-ball in their 70-run fourth-wicket stand. Morton hit 36 off 29 deliveries, with three fours and a six, and Simmonds made 37 off 30 balls, hitting four fours and a six. The duo also departed in quick succession, but by then Nevis were well set. Daynason Browne (22) and Akito Willett (13 not out), swung their bats to get the side as close to 200 as possible. Montserrat's McPherson Meade returned figures of 2 for 22.

Montserrrat's chase didn't get off to a good start. Baker was bowled for a duck in debutant Ian Byron's first over and Williams, who struck the rookie for six, suffered a similar fate at Trevier Smithen's hands as his side slipped to 28 for 2. A series of run outs and wickets to the Willett brothers, Akita and Tonito, and Montserrat slipped from 59 for 5 to an eventual 111 all out. Byron sniffed out to more wickets at the end to finish with 3 for 21 in his first 20/20 game. Sempor's 35 from 20 balls was the best Montserrat could muster.

Nevis and regional one-day champions Jamaica now face off in a final-eight clash on February 16.

© Cricinfo

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