Kingston, Jamaica – The Leeward Islands squeezed out a narrow 4 run victory over the Windward Islands to slip into the final of the WICB Regional 50 over Tournament.
 
Having made a modest 213 all out in 50 overs, the Leewards restricted Windwards to 209 for 9 from their quota of 50 overs at Sabina Park.
 
With 14 runs needed from 12 deliveries to win, Man of the Match Anthony Martin bowled sensational penultimate over in which he only allowed 3 runs and with 11 runs needed from the final over the Windwards brought the margin down to 5 runs from the last ball but last pair Gary Mathurin and Nelon Pascal were only able to scurry through for a single to leave their team four runs short.

The Windwards run chase was dented to 85 for 5 but wicketkeeper Lindon James kept hope afloat with a power packed 64 from 87 balls. He smacked four fours and a pair of sixes in his knock as he put on 80 runs for the sixth wicket with Liam Sebastien who supported with 24 from 47 balls.
 
After Sebastien fell to leave the score 165 for 6, Martin took over and wrestled the advantage in Leewards’ favour and they never relented. Martin grabbed a match-changing hat trick in the 45th over when he bowled James and Shane Shillingford (0) and trapped Mervin Matthew (0) lbw to reduce the score to 174 for 9.
 
Martin finished the game with 3 wickets for 23 runs from 10 overs.
 
Mathurin (19*) and Pascal (18) then edged closer to the victory target but the modest target was just out of their reach.
 
The innings started in disastrous fashion with Montserratian pacer Lionel Baker (9-0-52-2) reducing the Windwards to 1 run for 2 wickets in the opening over.
 
After Leewards won the toss and batted they lost wickets after an opening stand of 44 but imposing Anguillan left hander Chesney Hughes who was promoted to open the innings held things together with an impressive 81 from 105 balls.
 
Hughes, who plays county cricket for Derbyshire, unleashed seven booming fours as he favoured playing with power.
 
Along and captain Wilden Cornwall who made 38 Hughes put on 76 for the fifth wicket after the Leewards were reduced to 80 for four. Darren Sammy picked up three wickets in his opening spell to set the Leewards back but Cornwall combined with Hughes to revive the innings before the latter was lbw to Shane Shillingford at 156 for 5.
 
Sammy finished with 4 for 47 to achieve 100th List A wicket in his 100th List A match.
 
Shillingford got 2 for 30 from 10 overs while pacer Mervin Matthew also took 2 for 37 from seven overs.

Summarized scores:

Leewards 213 all out in 49 overs: Chesney Hughes 81; Wilden Cornwall 38; Justin Athanaze 21;Daren Sammy 4 for 47; Shane Shillingford 2 for 30; Mervin Matthews 2 for 37

Windwards: 209 for 9 in 50 overs: Lindon James 64; Johnson Charles 33; Liam Sebastien 24;Gary Mathurin 19*; Nelon Pascal 18*;Anthony Martin 3 for 23; Lionel Baker 2 for 52; Jaques Taylor, Wilden Cornwall and Justin Athanze 1 wicket each—Leewards winning by 4 runs