In a dominant display of left-arm spin bowling, Ashmead Nedd and Joshua Bishop orchestrated a commanding seven-wicket victory for West Indies Academy against Ireland Academy, leveling the three-match 50-over series in Antigua on Monday.
Opting to bowl first at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, West Indies Academy’s bowlers bundled out Ireland Academy for a mere 103 runs in the 28th over. Nedd and Bishop led the demolition, each claiming three wickets, while Captain Nyeem Young and seamer McKenny Clarke chipped in with two wickets each. This collective effort resulted in Ireland Academy crumbling to 48 for five by the 16th over.
In response, West Indies Academy faced an early challenge as they found themselves at 40 for three in the ninth over. However, Jordan Johnson, a talented teenager, unleashed an aggressive, unbeaten innings, smashing 40 runs off just 21 balls. Teddy Bishop also played a brisk and crucial role, contributing an unbeaten 32 runs from 25 deliveries. Their partnership of 63 runs for the fourth wicket guided West Indies Academy to a comfortable victory in the 16th over.
Final match slated for Tuesday
The series will conclude at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground with the final match scheduled for Tuesday.
Ireland Academy, who had displayed strong batting in the series opener on Friday, struggled to replicate their performance this time. Only Scott MacBeth (29) and Stephen Doheny (27) managed to cross the 20-run mark. Doheny and Murray Commins (16) provided a brief partnership of 29 runs for the first wicket, but a spirited bowling effort from Young and Clarke saw the top order crumble with five wickets falling for just 19 runs.
Despite a 32-run partnership between MacBeth and Gavin Hoey (17), the last five wickets fell quickly, thanks to the combined efforts of Bishop and Nedd.
A shaky start
West Indies Academy’s run chase got off to a shaky start, with Matthew Nandu departing in the second over for nine runs. Kadeem Alleyne followed in the eighth over after scoring 19 runs. When Fion Hand dismissed Leonardo Julien for just one run in the following over, West Indies Academy faced a challenging situation.
However, the explosive batting display by Jordan Johnson, featuring four fours and three sixes, along with Teddy Bishop’s contributions, led West Indies Academy to a comfortable win and a series-leveling victory.