Daniel Doram took a career-best 7-29 to lead the Leeward Islands Hurricanes to a resounding eight-wicket victory over the Jamaica Scorpions in their opening encounter of the CG Insurance Super50 Competition at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday.
Opting to bowl first, Hurricanes bundled out Scorpions for 123 in the 33rd over, left-arm spinner Doram wrecking the innings with seven for 29 — the third best figures in the history of the Regional Super50 Cup and second best by a Leeward Islands bowler.
West Indies white-ball all-rounder Odean Smith top-scored with 26 from 30 balls at number eight while out-of-favour Test batsman Nkrumah Bonner chipped in with 24 from 29 deliveries but they were the only two to pass 20.
In reply, left-hander Powell dominated, smashing half-dozen fours and as many sixes in a stunning 36-ball unbeaten 80, to take Hurricanes over the line off just 14 overs.
He raced to his 19th List A fifty off just 24 balls with five fours and three sixes and fittingly struck the winning runs, lofting off-spinner Andre McCarthy to the wide long on boundary to tie the scores before ambling a single down the ground.
It was Joseph (2-24) who handed his side an explosive start, removing both opener Kirk McKenzie (1) and his Test Vice-Captain Jermaine Blackwood (0) in the third over, and leaving Scorpions on eight for two.
McCarthy (13) put on 20 for the third wicket with opener Chadwick Walton (16) and 28 for the fourth with Bonner but Doram then ripped through the middle order to send Scorpions tumbling to 66 for six in the 17th over.
Smith blasted two fours and a six in a 36-run, seventh-wicket partnership with Captain Rovman Powell (13), but once Doram had Powell stumped, Scorpions lost their last four wickets for 21 runs.
Kieran Powell silenced Scorpions from early in the run chase, putting on 29 for the first wicket with Kofi James (12), 27 for the second wicket with Keacy Carty (4) before dominating an unbroken third-wicket stand of 68 with Karima Gore (19 not out).