Mayers’ heroics help Pride edge Volcanoes in thriller

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

BARBADOS PRIDE captain Kyle Mayers grabbed two wickets in two balls to lead his side to an exciting eight-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method over the struggling Windward Islands Volcanoes in their Regional Super50 clash at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday.

With the Volcanoes requiring 11 off the last over to overhaul the Pride’s total of 239 for nine in a contest that was reduced to 46 overs because of rain, Mayers grabbed the wickets of Jeremy Solozano and Darius Martin with his final two deliveries to dismiss them for 237 and secure the Pride’s fourth win in five matches.

Solozano, who topscored with 85 from 88 balls, almost single-handedly carried the Volcanoes to victory in pursuit of an adjusted total of 245, after they had slumped to 196 for seven in the 41st over.

He added 19 with Darel Cyrus for the eighth wicket, and a further 22 with Kenneth Dember, to put his team in sight of a memorable win.

But Mayers only conceded two runs from his first four deliveries before Solozano picked out Kemar Smith at long off trying to hit the medium pacer out of the ground.

Martin then went for a first-ball duck, slicing Mayers to gully where Jomel Warrican took the catch to end the match.

The skipper ended with 3-50, while Dominic Drakes and Javed Leacock took two wickets apiece.

Earlier, several Pride batsmen got starts but failed to convert after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Kevin Wickham scored 47, opener Leniko Boucher made 43, Kemar Smith hit an unbeaten 34, and Mayers scored 33.

They built several key partnerships after the Pride had slipped to 73 for four early on, with off-spinner Kenneth Dember grabbing the key wickets of Boucher and Demetrius Richards for a duck.

Wickham and Mayers added 47 for the fifth wicket, and Wickham added another 43 with Jomel Warrican (22) following Mayers’ dismissal, to carry them to 163 for five.

Smith then added the finishing touches to the end of the innings, his knock requiring only 25 balls and containing three fours and one six.

Dember was the pick of the Volcanoes’ bowlers with 3-33 from his 10 overs.