The Bahamas struggled offensively but their defense helped them take care of Jamaica to win the Bahamas Cricket Association’s (BCA) TwentyTwenty (T20) Nations League championship match this past Sunday at Haynes Oval. The Bahamas won by 19 runs after they finished with 139 runs all out. Jamaica only managed to score 120 runs all out.
It marked the end of the 2022 BCA cricket season – the T20 League wrapped up last month.
After an uncharacteristic opening, batting for The Bahamas with Marc Taylor scoring just six runs, they needed some offensive firepower. That firepower came from the third batsman, Turan Brown, who joined Evertte Haven at the crease. Brown was able to come in and knock three sixes and two fours to score 30 runs before Rodney Codney got him out with The Bahamas on 55 runs in the sixth over for the loss of two wickets.
The Bahamas went from 55 runs for the loss of two wickets to 57 runs for the loss of five wickets. Two key wickets were lost with Greg Taylor II and Rudy Fox going out without getting on the scoreboard. Jonathan Barry and Antonio Harris stabilized The Bahamas as they managed to get a 51-run partnership. They took the runs total to 108 as Barry had a knock of 20 runs before Mike Smith sent him back to the pavilion. Barry had two fours and several singles.
Jamaica never got Harris out as he had 45 runs in the innings before The Bahamas was all out with four balls to spare. Harris had five sixes in his innings to go with 15 singles, as The Bahamas finished with 139 runs, which was far below their semifinal final score of 277 runs in 17 overs.
The Jamaican side had great bowling spells from Smith and Codner who took three wickets each. Mitchell had two wickets of his own. The 140-run target was feasible as they needed seven runs per over.
It was good start for Jamaica as they had 35 runs after the first five overs with Gregory Irving and Kevorn Hinds opening the batting for them. Marc Taylor’s delivery in the sixth over broke up that partnership as his brother Greg Taylor caught Irving’s shot. Irving was out for eight runs and Jamaica had 36 runs for the loss of one wicket.
Hinds and incoming batsman Kevorn McInnis put up a partnership of 24 runs in four overs. Hinds was out on 31 runs in the 10th over on Greg Taylor’s delivery with the Jamaicans on 60 runs for the fall of two wickets. Lance Liston came in and scored 20 runs to help carry the team after McInnis got out on 10 runs – all singles. Andrew Nash replaced Liston and the two put up a partnership of 27 runs in two overs before Nash was out on four runs to slow down the Jamaican side. They had 92 runs for the loss of four wickets after 14 overs.
Liston gave the Jamaica side some breathing room. Keith Burrows got the ball to bowl the 15th over. On the first ball he bowled, he caught and bowled Liston to shut the door on Jamaica who were now at 92 runs for five wickets. He finished with 20 runs. There was no response from the tail end batsmen as The Bahamas bowled Jamaica out for 120 runs with eight balls to spare.
Barry took care of the last three batsmen to come away with three total wickets in the game. Burrows and Greg Taylor snagged two wickets each.