WEST INDIES FOURTH IN HONG KONG SIXES

West Indies fourth in Sixes
Published on: 11/13/06.

HONG KONG – West Indies finished in fourth place, after losing their last two matches at the Hong Kong Sixes Competition yesterday at the Kowloon Cricket Club.

Sylvester Joseph's side lost a virtual semi-final to eventual champions South Africa by 35 runs, and then failed in their bid to win the bronze medal, when they lost by three wickets to India as they did in the final last year.

West Indies will pocket US$30 000 out of the total prize pot of US$280 000, after they unsuccessfully defended 101 runs in the play-off for the bronze medal against the Indians.

With all play-offs consisting of five eight-ball overs-a-side, India needed 21 from the last over, and Darren Sammy could not contain Sunil Joshi, who scored 19 off four balls which contained three sixes, including the winning hit off the last ball with scores tied.

West Indies, sent in to bat, had an early setback when Joshi bowled Marlon Samuels for a two-ball duck in the first over.

The Caribbean side then lost Carlton Baugh, Jr., caught in the deep off Sanjay Bangar for nine before Joseph and Esuan Crandon put them back on track.

Joseph was caught at mid-off off Sodhi for the top score of 28 off 13 balls which included two fours and three sixes, leaving Crandon and Sammy to hit West Indies out of trouble in the last two overs.

Sammy was dismissed in the final over for 27 off nine balls that contained three fours and two sixes, leaving Crandon not out on 14 and Narsingh Deonarine not out on six.

India had close to half the runs knocked off, when Deonarine removed Sodhi for 25 in the third over.

Crandon knocked over Bangar for 21 in the next over, and former Trinidad and Tobago batsman Robin Singh, the Indian captain, was run out for 25 in the same over, leaving his side needing a big final over to get over the hump.

Earlier in the day, West Indies were set 98 to win their second and final second round match against South Africa which would have put them into the final.

They were however dismissed for 62 in 3.5 overs, failing to observe the golden rule of limited-overs cricket of batting out their allotted overs.

Sammy struck three sixes in the top score of 23 not out off eight balls for West Indies and added 41 with Narsingh Deonarine, who lashed three sixes in 18 off five balls.

Nicky Boje collected two wickets for 12 runs and Albie Morkel two
for 15 from their single over each.

South Africa owed their total to knocks of 32 retired not out from Morkel and 21 from Gulam Bodi.

The South Africans then dismissed Pakistan in the final for 91 to win by 12 runs and earn a US $100 000 payday. (CMC)