North Field, National Sports Centre (Hamilton Parish won toss): Hamilton Parish Hurricanes beat Sandy Spartans by five wickets

Captain Terryn Fray struck a composed unbeaten 69 off 54 balls for Hamilton Parish Hurricanes to claim back-to-back titles in the Bermuda Smash Invitational with a thrilling victory over Sandys Spartans yesterday.

Fray, the player of the match, stroked seven fours and two sixes, with a maximum sealing the win for Hurricanes with 14 balls to spare. His innings proved pivotal in the champions reaching 154 for five in 17.4 overs to successfully defend their title.

“It feels good to win this two times in a row, I can’t ask for much more,” Fray told The Royal Gazette.

“I’m starting to think this is where I want to be. I got stuck in the last match, I said I’m going to get stuck in again today and see where it ends up.

“I knew I had to bat through the innings and the guys around me would do well. It makes it a lot easier when you’re not losing wickets at both ends.”

Clay Smith, the Hurricanes coach, suggested that the Bermuda Smash must be named after his captain.

“They need to name this tournament after Terryn Fray, he’s been phenomenal for two years in a row,” the coach said.

“Ever since the draft came in, I’ve been having meetings with [Herbie Bascome] and Terryn to come up with strategies. I’m elated because at the end of the day everything worked out.”

A bowling masterclass by Clay Smith’s side saw Spartans, who won all their matches heading into the final, restricted to 151 for six in 20 overs.

Delray Rawlins notched up 58 to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer and 33 came from Gerhard Erasmus, but Hurricanes bowlers ensured that the rest of the Spartans batters did not cause much damage.

Left-arm spinners Derrick Brangman and Raj Nannan picked up two apiece, while medium pace bowler George O'Brien had an economical one for 22.

“We knew we could restrict them with our bowling,” Fray said.

“We probably had the best bowling attack in the whole tournament, we bowled well throughout. We knew we were going to pin them down to 150 and we got it.”

After being asked to set a target, Spartans, who had scored over 200 runs in their previous two matches, were in trouble as early as the second over. O'Brien struck with the second ball he bowled when he had Kamau Leverock caught for four by Alex Dore.

Chad Bowes, the batter with the second most runs in the tournament, did not last in the middle, with the New Zealand player bowled by Nannan for 14. A fine catch by Jonté Smith at cow corner saw Erasmus dismissed in the eleventh over.

Rawlins passed his third straight fifty of the tournament before he perished trying to up the scoring. Brangman removed his former national team captain, thanks to a fine catch by Nannan.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow but we gave ourselves a chance by being in the final,” Rawlins said.

“Somebody had to lose, unfortunately today it was us. I’m proud of the boys, we made a huge improvement from last year and we're looking to go again next year.”

Sharye Tavares was given out leg-before for a two-ball duck for Brangman to pick up his second. Nannan got Alje Richardson in the last over, with Spartans not getting a chance to accelerate at the end of their innings.

Fray and Josh Brown gave Hurricanes a brilliant start, but the Australian fell to his compatriot Marcus Bean for a nine-ball 14, as a result of great fielding from Isaiah O'Brien.

Dore did not contribute much to the run chase as the left-hander departed for eight after being trapped in front by Erasmus. Nannan hung around to help push along the score, until he fell to Leverock.

Jonté Smith was run out going for a second run when 51 runs were still needed for victory. Odean Smith upped the ante with two huge sixes off Rawlins, but the spinner got his man next ball, Erasmus with a sterling take near the boundary.

Brangman hammered a six off O’Brien at the end of the seventeenth over to bring it down to ten required off the last three overs. Fray took 12 off Leverock’s fourth over, with a six to wrap things up.

Hurricanes went into the final as underdogs after losing to Spartans in the league phase of the tournament.

“We weren't too worried about the first two performances,” the winning captain said.

“We used the first few games to give everyone a chance to play. We then stepped it up for the fourth game and the semi-final.

“We knew we were going to get into our groove. It was just a matter of time and we peaked at the right time, and here we are raising the trophy.