Windies all-rounder Nurse stars in Legends Cup final
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — A solid all-round performance from discarded West Indies off-spinner Ashley Nurse propelled the Wes Hall XI to an upset 24-run victory over the Garfield Sobers XI to win the Barbados Legends Cup on Wednesday.
Nurse, batting at 10, hit the top score of 55 to lead the Hall XI to 238 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs, after they were put into bat on a typically hard, true Kensington Oval pitch in the final of the threeteam competition.
In reply, Nurse followed up with three for 41 from eight overs and favourites, Sobers XI — captained by discarded Windies batsman Shai Hope — were bowled out for 214 in 46.3 overs.
Nurse counted Hope — stumped for 37 — among his three scalps, after the Sobers XI stumbled to 11 for three in the seventh over and the outof-favour West Indies batsman put on 78 with left-hander Nicholas Kirton to revive his side’s chances.
Pacer Akeem Jordan, however, undermined the Sobers XI batting, taking four for 13 from 8.3 overs, snuffing out a late charge from former Barbados Under-19 spinner Chad Williams and recent Windies selectee Keon Harding to stage a come-frombehind win.
Williams led the way for the Sobers XI with 50 from 47 balls and Harding made 29 in a ninth-wicket stand of 74 before they were dismissed inside the final 10 overs to end any hopes of their side reaching the victory target of 240.
Former West Indies pacer Miguel Cummins took two for 39 from his allotted 10 overs.
Earlier, Nurse struck five fours and four sixes in a swashbuckling 35-ball innings and dominated a 90-run, ninth-wicket stand with former Windies Under-19 World Cupwinning all-rounder, Shamar Springer to beef up the Hall XI’S total.
Springer was not out on 43, but discarded West Indies batsman Kyle Hope, Shai’s brother, who played for Trinidad & Tobago Red Force over the past five seasons, gave the innings early momentum with 44 and long-standing left-hander Jonathan Carter got 26.
Pacer Jair Mccallister, former Windies Under-19 pacer Nyeem Young and former Windies Under-19 left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop grabbed two wickets apiece for the Sobers XI.
The Legends Cup was a series of competition trial matches for prospective Barbados Pride players ahead of the West Indies Super50 Cup scheduled for February next year.