Jamaica's Shawn Findlay (left) and Marlon Samuels crash in to each other as Findlay miraculously holds on to the catch during their Stanford 20/20 quarter-final match against the Nevis Pro Team at Stanford Cricket Stadium in Antigua on Saturday night. - Photo contributed from Stanford 2020 web site

COOLIDGE, Antigua:

Jamaica moved a step closer to the Stanford 20/20 winners' US$1 million prize money when they thrashed Nevis Pro Team by eight wickets in their quarter-final match at the Stanford Cricket Ground on Saturday night.

Replying to Nevis Pro Team's 121 for eight, Jamaica cruised home at 122 for two in 17.4 overs.

Jamaica's skipper Christopher Gayle was pleased with the performance.

"A good win," was how he described it. "It was good to restrict them for under 130 runs."

Nevis' captain Joel Simmonds said poor shot selection let down his team.

"The total 120 was not enough against Jamaica with the batting line-up they have," he said after his team only recorded nine fours and two sixes in their innings.

"We would have to make anywhere between 160 and 180," he added. "We never did that: we lost wickets at crucial intervals and that set us back in the game."

After the loss of Parchment (10), bowled by Ian Byron, Gayle and Marlon Samuels played a replica of their innings against Bermuda last tournament, but again, the latter was the dominant force.

Brutal Sammy

Samuels, in his innings, was brutal against the Nevisian bowling attack. He struck five fours and two huge sixes off 39 deliveries before he was caught on the long-on boundary.

Samuels, who hit a quick-fire 47 and opener Gayle, who played a quiet innings to end unbeaten on 28 off 43 deliveries, put on 74 runs for the second wicket as they consolidated the backbone of Jamaica's victory.

Danza Hyatt joined Gayle and within no time, the former was on the attack. In his brief innings, he hit two fours and as many sixes, one of each against Trevier Smithen to end the match in style.

Samuels was named Man-of-the-Match for his all-rounder performance. He walked away with US$25,000.

Earlier, Nevis Pro Team did not threaten too much, though they had a few big shots, most of which came off West Indies pace duo Jermone Taylor and Daren Powell.

In the end, Daynason Browne (25) and Javia Liburd (22) were the top-scorers against Taylor took 3-39 and Samuels 2-21.

In the semi-final, the Jamaicans, who returned home yesterday, will face the winner of the Guyana vs Antigua quarter-final match, which was played last night.

This fan displays the true Jamaica sentiment during the Stanford 2020 quarter-final match against the Nevis Pro Team, at the Stanford Cricket Ground on Saturday night. Jamaica won by eight wickets. - Photo courtesy of Stanford 2020 web site

NEVIS (Maximum 20 overs)

C. Smithen c Parchment b Taylor	4
S. Woodley c Hinds b Samuels	16
J. Liburd run out (Samuels)	22
T. Willett c Findlay b Miller	16
R. Morton st Baugh bGayle	1
J. Simmonds cGayle b Samuels	15
D. Browne c Findlay b Taylor	25
A. Willett b Taylor	15
T. Smithen not out	1
Extras: (b2, w9)	11
TOTAL: (8 wkts - 20 overs)	121

J. Williams, I. Byron did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (C. Smithen, 2.5 overs); 2-29 (Woodley, 4.2); 3-62 (T. Willett, 9.1); 4-65 (Morton, 10.1); 5-72 (Liburd, 12.2); 6-106 (Simmonds, 18.1); 7-120 (A. Willett, 19.4); 8-121 (Browne, 19.6).

Bowling: Taylor 4-0-39-3, Powell 4-0-31-0, Samuels 4-0-21-2, Miller 4-0-16-1,Gayle 4-0-12-1.

JAMAICA (Target: 122 runs off 20 overs)

B. Parchment b Byron	10
C. Gayle not out	28
M. Samuels c Browne b A. Willett	46
D. Hyatt not out	27
Extras: (lb4, w6, nb2)	12
TOTAL: (2 wkts - 17.4 overs)	123

W. Hinds, X. Marshall, +C. Baugh Jr, S. Findlay, J. Taylor, D. Powell, N. Miller did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Parchment, 2.1 overs); 2-85 (Samuels, 12.5).

Bowling: Byron 4-1-20-1, T. Smithen 3.4-0-33-0, T. Willett 3-0-17-0, Williams 3-0-17-0, A. Willett 3-0-28-1, Morton 1-0-4-0.

Result: Jamaica won by eight wickets.

Series: Jamaica advance to semi-finals.

Toss: Nevis.

Umpires: B. Morgan, V. Bullen, TV Replays: L. Kelly.

Match Referee: A. Richards Sr.

Play-of-the-Match: Brenton Parchment (Jamaica).

Man-of-the-Match: Marlon Samuels (Jamaica).