COOLIDGE, Antigua (CMC):
An unbeaten 43 from Sher-ville Huggins anchored the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) to a stunning four-wicket, upset victory over St Kitts in the fourth preliminary match of the Stanford Twenty20 Cup on Wednesday.
Chasing 131 for victory from their allocation of 20 overs, the USVI reached the target with four balls to spare, when Huggins swung a delivery from Terrence Ward through mid-wicket, and Calvin Williams running from his position at deep backward square leg mistakenly kicked the ball into boundary for four.
Fitting end
It was a fitting way to end a match that was packed with errors on both sides which kept a crowd of close to 4,000 at the Stanford Cricket Ground on the edge of their seats, as the fortunes shifted throughout from one side to the other.
Despite 55 from Steve Liburd, St Kitts were restricted to 130 for eight in their 20 overs, but the USVI soon found themselves under early pressure, when they slumped to four for two inside the first two overs.
Clifford Walwyn, a former Antigua & Barbuda and Leeward Islands batsman, was adjudged lbw to Williams for one in the first over, and Alderman Les-mond, a Leewards wicketkeeper/-batsman of recent vintage, was caught at mid-off for the same score in the second over.
Recovery
Junie Anthony came to the wicket and helped Huggins repair the early damage with a stand of 52 for the third wicket before he was caught at long-off off Jacques Taylor for 28 in the 11th over.
His dismissal brought his namesake Hamish Anthony, the former Antigua & Barbuda, Leewards, and West Indies all-rounder, to the crease, and he changed the complexion of the match when he smote one four and three sixes in 28 from nine balls which put the USVI firmly back on track.
When Elsroy Powell bowled him, the USVI still required 45 runs from 49 balls, but Huggins, admittedly fighting the effects of the flu, chose discretion as the best part of valour, much to the consternation of several of his side's supporters.
When Mark Vitalis was caught deep midwicket for six off Colin Cannonier, and Keithroy Cor-nelius was lbw for a duck to become Powell's second wicket which left the USVI on 106 for six.
