Devonshire Rec (North Village won toss): Devonshire Rec beat North Village by 121 runs

Kamau Leverock and Alafia Henry made significant contributions to lead Devonshire Recreation Club into the Central Counties Final with a comprehensive victory over Evening League team North Village at a scorching Devonshire Rec on Saturday.

After sending their hosts in to bat, Village struggled heavily with their line and length, although guest player Macai Young had an early appeal for lbw against Kamau Leverock dismissed by umpire Kevin Clarke.

Leverock and opening partner Treadwell Gibbons Jr made an aggressive start, with the pair reaching their 50 partnership in 40 balls before Indian Sudesh Konthahelage tricked Gibbons with a slower ball, which he swung at and missed.

Leverock reached his half-century in 41 balls, cracking eight fours and one six as the green and gold plundered 85 for one in their initial powerplay.

Drewonde Bascome came to the crease with his team holding the momentum and survived two dropped catches. The first came when he was on 15 and was put down by slip fielder Eric Dunkley. The second chance was missed by bowler Young when Bascome was on 34.

He and Leverock reached 50 for the second wicket off just 25 balls and they would finish the stand on 106 runs from just 63 balls. Bascome held on to make 50 off 34, but was trapped immediately leg before by Young. Leverock would soon be caught by Young off Campbell, finishing with 79 off 63 balls to lead the Rec scoring.

Village continued to struggle with fielding concentration in the sweltering heat as Ricardo Brangman destroyed most balls slightly wide of the stumps. This aggressive approach, along with shoddy wicketkeeping between Tariq Jennings and Dervin Adams, led to 35 wide balls being bowled.

The Devonshire Rec middle order let themselves down as Pierre Smith trapped Ankoma Cannonier leg before, and then Ajai Daniels made just eight before playing straight back to Smith for his second wicket of the day. Jennings made his best play behind the stumps when he kept his nerve to hang on to a catch to dismiss Chris Dailey, the first wicket for right-arm medium bowler Adams.

St David’s wicketkeeper Brangman stayed at the crease through all that chaos, smashing 73 runs off just 54 balls, including five fours and six maximums. He was eventually caught at mid-wicket by Smith off Campbell, leaving the Central Counties holders at 298 for seven.

Village took care of the bottom order with a much steadier display of fielding and length, as Jamaican Orlando Maulseed played across the line to be dismissed by captain Shervin Jennings.

Trey Tucker, who made one boundary, was bowled by Adams, before Dunkley redeemed himself by making an excellent reflex catch to send last-man Nyhrobi Carmichael back to the pavilion.

Despite bowling 53 extras, the Evening League side bowled out their First Division opponents for 318 in 41.3 overs. Four Village bowlers took two wickets each.

Village were quickly set back in their run chase when Adams was trapped leg before by a quicker ball from Leverock on the fourth legal ball of their innings.

Pierre Smith then showed some excellent leadership with opener and debutant Chemarl Henry. The eighth over, which went for 15 runs overall, saw Henry place a beautiful straight drive for six towards “The Den” after caressing a lovely four to the mid-wicket rope.

These two were just one run short of the century partnership when Chemarl Henry played across the line of a slower ball by namesake Alafia, before two more wickets fell without the score changing as Rec took control.

Alafia and fellow spinner Chris Dailey tore through the middle order with relative comfort, although guest player Swayne Campbell proved a tough nut to crack, with he and Makai Young putting on 38 from 21 balls for the seventh wicket.

The Southampton Rangers man then mistimed a shot right to Ajai Daniels off the pace of Leverock to leave Village on 157 for seven and the last true all-rounder back in the dugout.

Cleveland star Young kept the innings alive on his own with a quickfire 35 off 24 balls, but the rest of the order was taken by Leverock to clinch a smooth 121-run victory.

Leverock would finish with five wickets to Henry’s four, as the pace and spin combination took 90 per cent of the scalps required for victory. Chemarl Henry, Smith, Campbell and Young were the only Village batsmen to register double figures. Rec bowled 40 total extras, including 28 wide balls.

Four-wicket hero Henry gave his team-mates credit for the dominant win. “It was a team effort,” he said.

“My wickets were important, but the whole team played well. We feel like we can go back-to-back in this competition. The team looks strong and I am confident.”

The holders take on fellow Western Stars for all the marbles next Saturday at 11am.