QUEENS, New York (CMC):
A POLISHED half-century by West Indies opening batsman Devon Smith steered a team comprising many West Indies cricket Legends to an 18-run victory over a USA All-Stars team in the inaugural Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Twenty20 cricket match at Idlewild Park on Saturday.
Smith struck three fours in his knock of 54 to earn the Man-of-the-Match award in the event that officially kicked off CTO's Caribbean Week in New York.
The young Grenadian shared an opening stand of 57 with Suruj Ragoonath, who played two Test matches for West Indies in 1999, before Ragoonath (16) was caught by Richard Staple, who led the All-Stars team, off Jamaican medium pacer Orlando Baker.
St. Kitts national Stephen Liburd blasted 40 with two sixes and four fours, and West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy hit 26 in helping the West Indies Legends to reach 170 for five off their 20 overs.
Grenadian Mikey Alexis and Barbadian Hubert Blackman snatched two wickets each for the U.S. All-Stars team.
FELL SHORT
Staple, a former Jamaica captain, struck 49 not out with two sixes and three fours, but the All-Stars fell short of the imposing total, reaching 152 for six in the allotted 20 overs.
Joel Garner, one of the most fearsome West Indies fast bowlers in the 1970s and 1980s, captained the Legends team and bagged two wickets for 12 runs from four overs of medium pace.
Andy Roberts, another feared pacer from the Garner era, served as manager and consultant for the celebratory match.
For the Legends, Henderson Bryan took two for 31 from four overs, Dennison Thomas, former Grenada and Windward Islands fast bowler, one for six from two overs and ex-West Indies pacer Cameron Cuffy, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, picked up one for 20 from four overs.
The other participating players for the West Indies Legends included Everton Mattis, Sew Shivnarine, Derrick Kallicharran, Irving Shillingford, and Derrick Holiday (St. Maarten).
