North Field, National Sports Centre (Pembroke Panthers won toss): Pembroke Panthers (10 pts) beat Hamilton Hurricanes (0) by three runs.

Pembroke Panthers earned at least a finals qualifying spot at the Bermuda Smash Invitational, after a nail-biting three-run win over Hamilton Parish Hurricanes in the teams’ ultimate match of the round-robin phase.

With both teams level on points after a win and a loss from their opening two matches and both chasing unbeaten Smith’s Sixers for the top spot that would guarantee a place in the final, Panthers put together a spiritedly effective team performance at the most opportune time.

Batting with aplomb and bowling with fierce determination, the Tre Manders-led Panthers’ were able to offset a well constructed half-century from Hurricanes’ opener Alex Dore (58).

“We just went out there determined to play hard, as we’ve been doing all this time,” said winning captain Tre Manders of his side’s performance.

“We’ve been regarded as underdogs but in many cases, perhaps 80 percent, it’s the underdogs that fight hardest and are able to prevail. We were able to get the win that will take us to Sunday and it feels good.”

Even as the result was based on a solid team effort, Guyana and West Indies international Chandrapaul Hemraj quietly produced his best all-round performance of the tournament in aid of Panthers’ victory.

Hemraj ensured a solid start with 24 runs as opening bat before seizing the key wicket of Hamilton’s danger man, Carlos Brathwaite, as his powerful West Indian comrade sought to accelerate his side towards a reachable target.

“It was a great team effort today by the boys,” said Hemraj, who made his one day international debut for the West Indies against India in 2018.

“We had to win this game today in order to qualify for tomorrow and it was a total team effort. I’m feeling better each time out and tomorrow’s big, so hopefully we can be even better.”

Choosing to bat first, Panthers posted 152 for seven, their best total of the tournament to date, with Zeko Burgess top scoring with 31. Named Man of the Match, the big hitting all-rounder made Hurricanes pay for having dropped him when he had scored only seven.

Others making useful contributions included captain Tre Manders (28), Marcus Scotland (21) and Dominic Sabir (18), as Panthers continued on an upward trajectory.

Right-arm seamer Abdul Salam emerged as the pick of the Hurricanes’ bowlers, nabbing three for 33, while former West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite showed his worth with two for 17 from 3.5 overs of constricting medium-fast pace.

Even as such would be in vain, Dore continued as the event’s most consistent batter, boasting an average of 48.67 from three innings.

He put on 24 for the first wicket with captain Terryn Fray (11), before the latter offered a leading return edge to Sabir.

After three wickets tumbled quickly in the chase the stage was set for Braithwaite (15) to close. However Hemraj had other ideas, the left-arm slow bowler inducing his West Indian counterpart into offering a catch to Sabir, fielding in the deep.

Dore continued to march while losing partners with regularity, as Hurricanes fell agonisingly short.

“I’m just trying to do what I was chosen to do,” said Dore, who has a goal of playing Cup Match for Somerset Cricket Club this season.

“I was picked as a batsman so I’m just trying to do my part. My coach told me that he wants one opening batsman to stay there until the end and that’s what I try to do each time I go out.”

The loss put Hurricanes in a wait-and-see position, as their progress to the final qualifier is dependent on the result of the later game between Smith’s Sixes and Sandys Spartans.