In a remarkable turn of events, West Indies Academy achieved a stunning six-wicket victory over title-holders Jamaica Scorpions in a rain-affected contest in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Wednesday. Captain Nyeem Young’s exceptional five-wicket haul and Teddy Bishop’s brilliant half-century played pivotal roles in the unexpected win.
Opting to bat first at Queen’s Park Oval, the Scorpions managed to reach a total of 263 for nine in their allotted 50 overs, largely due to Kirk McKenzie’s impressive 84 runs from 102 balls and Captain Rovman Powell’s contribution of 53 runs from 55 deliveries. Seamer Nyeem Young, aged 23, halted the Scorpions’ late innings acceleration by capturing five of the last six wickets, finishing with impressive figures of five for 49.
Rain disrupted the match with the West Indies Academy positioned at 131 for three after 25 overs. Following the rain delay, the Academy faced a revised target of 236 runs from 42 overs.
Composed, run-a-ball 67 not out
Bishop, who was unbeaten on 37 at the interruption, led the chase with a composed and run-a-ball 67 not out. He received valuable support from Kevin Wickham, who contributed 37 runs, and Ackeem Auguste, scoring 15 not out, as the Academy comfortably achieved the revised target with 27 balls to spare. Bishop hit three fours and two sixes during his innings.
Leonardo Julien’s earlier contribution of 52 runs off 48 deliveries set the stage for the Academy’s victory, while Bishop and Julien combined for a significant partnership of 67 runs for the third wicket.
For the Scorpions, this loss marked their second defeat in the Regional Super50 Cup, following a 47-run loss to Barbados Pride the previous week, leaving them without a win in the competition.
McKenzie forms key partnerships
Despite losing Jermaine Blackwood early in their innings, the Scorpions rallied through various partnerships inspired by McKenzie. The left-handed McKenzie, who hit five fours and two sixes, formed key partnerships with Chadwick Walton (17), Andre McCarthy (15), and Captain Powell (53) before falling to Young, who also dismantled the lower order.
In response, the West Indies Academy, at 48 for two in the 12th over, was rejuvenated by Julien and Bishop’s contributions, securing their first win of the campaign and delivering a significant upset against the defending champions, the Jamaica Scorpions.
