A masterclass from Kamau Leverock and a clinical run-chase from the Pembroke Panthers have set up a mouth-watering showdown in the final of the Bermuda Smash Invitational.
Defending champions Hamilton Parish Hurricanes were brutally dethroned by a ruthless Sandys Spartans at the National Sports Center North Field, while the Panthers navigated a tricky chase against Smith’s Sixers to book their spot in the showpiece event.
Sandys Spartans 220/4 Hamilton Parish Hurricanes 166/8The opening semi-final of the day belonged entirely to one man. Kamau Leverock played an innings of sheer, unadulterated power, smashing a spectacular 107 off just 54 deliveries to lay the foundations for the Spartans' commanding victory.
Leverock’s blistering knock included nine boundaries and nine towering sixes, leaving the Hurricanes' bowling attack with nowhere to hide. He found an equally destructive partner in Delray Rawlins, who chipped in with a fierce 27-ball 59, clears the ropes four times themselves.
Despite the onslaught, Raj Nannan delivered a highly commendable spell for the defending champions, returning figures of 2-32 from his four overs.
Faced with a mountainous target of 221, the Hurricanes never truly found the momentum required for a record-breaking chase. Former professional footballer Jonte Smith top-scored with a gritty 34, but Isaiah O’Brien (2-24) and a disciplined Spartans bowling unit choked the run rate, restricting the champions to 166/8 and sealing a comprehensive 54-run win.
Smith Sixers 129 Pembroke Panthers 132/5The afternoon's second semi-final was a far more tense, attritional affair, but it was the Pembroke Panthers who held their nerve to secure a five-wicket win over Smith’s Sixers.
Choosing to bat first, the Sixers struggled to build partnerships against a probing Panthers attack. Anthony Mosca offered the primary resistance with a top score of 28, but the innings collapsed to 129 all out with just one ball remaining in the innings. Johnathan Van Lange was the star with the ball for Pembroke, ripping through the middle order to claim figures of 3-23.
The chase was far from a formality. The Sixers fought back valiantly behind a superb spell from Bret Hampton, who took 3-23 to leave the Panthers' top order sweating.
However, Charles Trott proved to be the calming influence the Panthers desperately needed. Coming to the crease under pressure, Trott anchored the innings beautifully with an unbeaten 45 not out, guiding his side home with seven balls to spare and setting up a colossal North Field final against the Spartans.
