Pembroke Panthers maintain flawless run in Bermuda Smash
Captain Dominic Sabir and overseas player Jonathan Van Lange were outstanding as Pembroke Panthers blew away Sandys Spartans by six wickets on Wednesday to finish unbeaten in the league stage of the Bermuda Smash Invitational.
Van Lange arrived straight from the airport to pick up four wickets for 25 runs as Spartans, who lost the toss and were asked to bat, posted 126 for eight in 20 overs. Sabir, who was named player of the match, smashed an unbeaten 47-ball 58 for Panthers to finish on 132 for four in 18.3 overs, their victory achieved with nine balls to spare.
A replacement for the injured Jamal Richards, Van Lange, from Guyana, hopped off the plane after hours of travel and went straight into the field for his new team.
“It was really nice getting four wickets for my team,” Van Lange told The Royal Gazette.
“The wicket was a bit damp, so I just used some cutters and stuff like that. It was a good match-up and we gelled well.
“I’m really looking forward to what we can do in the semi-finals as we look to make it to the final.”
Van Lange, a former West Indies player, dropped Kamau Leverock on four off the bowling of Zeko Burgess. When brought on to bowl, the 19-year-old started off with a wide and then got Chad Bowes caught by Jermal Proctor.
Delray Rawlins could have gone for a three-ball duck had Proctor held on to a catch on the boundary but the former Bermuda captain fell for 11 when Gerhard Erasmus trapped him leg before.
Van Lange bowled a wicket maiden prior to Erasmus getting the big wicket of Leverock for 26.
Isaiah O’Brien top scored for Panthers with 36 at No 6, but Van Lange struck twice in the last over to peg them back.
Akeem Jordan got the first breakthrough for Spartans in the fourth over to remove Erasmus.
Sabir and Allan Douglas Jr combined to put Panthers firmly in the driver’s seat with a 59-run stand for the second wicket.
Douglas offered a chance on 17 off O’Brien’s bowling, but Jordan and Leverock watched the ball land safely between them.
The partnership was eventually broken when Douglas departed for a 31-ball 34 and Panthers requiring 48 runs to win.
Van Lange and Jaiden Manders fell before the chase was completed, but Sabir was still in the middle when Charles Trott lined up Jordan for a six to secure the victory in the penultimate over.
In the semi-finals on Friday, champions Hamilton Parish Hurricanes will meet Spartans at 11am. Panthers take on Smith’s Sixers in the second semi-final at 4pm.
Sandys Spartans
C Bowes c Proctor b Van Lange 4
*K Leverock c Proctor b Erasmus 24
D Rawlins lbw b Erasmus 11
Z McCaskie c Sabir b Van Lange 5
A Jordan c Allen b Van Lange 23
I O’Brien c Ebbin b Proctor 36
M Agard c Erasmus b Van Lange 8
L Fulton run out 1
A Darrell not out 0
Extras (b 1, lb 2, nb 1, w 8) 12
Total (8 wkts; 20 overs) 126
S Robinson and C McIntosh did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-43, 3-48, 4-48, 5-116, 6-119, 7-126, 8-126.
Bowling: Allen 4-0-25-0; Burgess 3-0-19-0; Van Lange 4-1-25-4; Erasmus 3-0-17-2; Sabir 1-0-3-0; Proctor 4-0-29-1; Trott 1-0-5-0.
Pembroke Panthers
A Douglas c Leverock b Rawlins 34
G Erasmus c O’Brien b Jordan 12
*D Sabir not out 58
J Van Lange c Fulton b O’Brien 5
J Manders c & b Leverock 3
C Trott not out 10
Extras (lb 3, nb 2, w 5) 10
Total (4 wkts; 18.3 overs) 132
F Allen, B Hall, Z Burgess, J Proctor and A Ebbin did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-79, 3-89, 4-11.
Bowling: Rawlins 4-0-25-1; Jordan 3.3-0-31-1; Leverock 4-0-21-1; O’Brien 3-0-14-1; Agard 3-0-20-0; Fulton 1-0-18-0.
Umpires: A Knight and O Andrade.
Third Umpire: L Williams
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