North Field, National Sports Centre (Pembroke won toss): Hamilton Parish Hurricanes beat Pembroke Panthers by six wickets

West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith's explosive batting powered defending champions Hamilton Parish Hurricanes to their first win on day three of the Bermuda Smash Invitational yesterday.

The 28-year-old Jamaican arrived at the crease in the ninth over with his team in a spot of bother at 55 for five and hammered 64, from 22 balls, dominating a 91-run partnership with Derrick Brangman that carried the Hurricanes to the brink of victory.

“We lost some wickets in the powerplay and had a lot of balls to bat, so I tried to bat to the end and whenever I got a bad ball I would put it away,” Smith told The Royal Gazette. “The wicket was very good for batting and that made it easier.”

Panthers paid a heavy price for dropping Smith on 31 as he went on to all but secure victory with some powerful strokeplay on either side of the stumps.

In all, the Indian Premier League player belted six sixes, including the 50th of the tournament that soared outside the ground, and three fours to keep the scorers busy.

He reached his fifty off 20 balls after sweeping former West Indies Under-19 spinner Jeavor Royal backward of square leg for a single before his aggressive innings ended when he holed out at long-on attempting another boundary with the Hurricanes just three runs shy of victory.

It was left to wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith to carry the champions across the line, and he caressed the first ball he faced through point for four to end the game in style.

“It was very good to get that first win going into the play-off on Saturday,” Smith said. “I am glad the guys know how it feels to win and hopefully the winning streak can continue on Saturday and going on to the last day.”

Brangman, who was dropped twice at long-on and mid-wicket, finished unbeaten on 21, which included two boundaries.

Smith was an obvious choice for man of the match after also claiming two for 22 with his fast-medium pace in the first innings and taking a catch as Panthers were restricted to 150 for seven after electing to bat.

“It was very good to restrict them to the total that they got,” he said. “It was a very good batting wicket and as bowlers we did very well to restrict them.

“It’s the type of wicket that you have to use your variations. Most of the guys just want pace on the ball, so it was very good to change up some of the balls.”

Left-arm spinner Raj Nannan also picked up two wickets for 22 runs.

Smith’s match-winning display overshadowed fellow West Indies seamer Akeem Jordan’s superb all-round display. He thumped 55 off 32 balls and claimed two for 39 in a losing cause for the Panthers.

His aggressive innings contained five fours and two sixes, with his fifty arriving off 29 balls after nudging Nannan to the mid-wicket region and scampering through for a single.

Panthers coach Cal Waldron conceded dropping Smith was a pivotal moment in the second innings.

“It was definitely an opportunity to win the game,” he said. “We had them where we wanted to be in the powerplay and that one chance went down and changed the whole match for them and for us.

“He [Smith] batted well and at the same token we just bowled too many balls in his slot and dropped catches.”

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