North Field, National Sports Centre (Hamilton Hurricanes won toss): Hamilton Hurricanes beat Smith’s Sixers by six wickets

A storm of a most enjoyable nature hit Prospect yesterday as Hamilton Hurricanes were crowned inaugural winners of the Bermuda Smash Invitational after defeating Smith’s Sixers in an epic final.

Hamilton Hurricanes captain Terryn Fray spearheaded a determined chase to victory, his unbeaten 89-run masterclass carrying the eastern franchise to the title over previously unbeaten Smith’s Sixers.

“It’s the first one,” said Fray, whose tally served to offset rival captain Onias Bascome’s equally crucial earlier half-century.

“Everybody wants to win the first one. I’m not going to say that it’s the most important, but it is the inaugural competition and what a way to open up this competition for years to come.

“No one’s ever going to forget the Hurricanes. It may not be hurricane season yet but a Category 5 struck up here today.”

Set an above-par target of 163 and unlike in previous innings, where the right-hander allowed an in-form Alex Dore to dominate the first wicket, Fray took it upon himself to exact payback against a Smith’s outfit that had beaten them by 16 runs during round- robin play.

“We knew after the first game that we could have won it,” explained Fray. “We messed up the chase in the middle order, but we had a definite plan today.

“We were not scared of them batting first. We talked after the first game and we said we were going to let them bat first again. We had a bowling plan and it worked for the most part.

“I have to give kudos to the fielding. Even though we dropped a few catches, we were able to execute both our bowling and batting plans.”

Even before Dore succumbed to a catch at wide long-on while attempting an uncharacteristic lofted drive, Fray had taken control. The Bermuda opener unleashed a full repertoire of drives, pulls, clips and dabs, which combined with swift running between the wickets, kept Hurricanes in tune with the asking rate.

Sinclair Smith lasted 11 balls for his ten runs before being caught by Raymon Reifer while trying to hit Allan Douglas Jr over long-on.

Fray reached his 50 one ball later, with the score at 85 and the stage set for a thrilling finale after he was joined at the crease by West Indies’ 2016 T20 World Cup winner Carlos Brathwaite.

Brathwaite, though able to scorch 25 runs from the first 11 balls faced was out on the twelfth, caught trying to hit Jones for a maximum over the wide long-on boundary.

A brief stay from Charles Trott (six) brought together Fray and new batsman Derrick Brangman with the score now a more precarious 134 for four and the crowd tensing at the edge of their seats.

Fray took Hurricanes to the verge with a courageous ramp shot off Reifer’s first ball of the penultimate over and followed with another boundary before a punch through cover for two rang in joyous celebrations for the men in red and silver.

“I came here to win,” said Brathwaite, who led much of the celebrations.

“Every time I go out, I go out to win. For the guys here it was personal and I know they all wanted to win and we all took great care and pride in our performance.

“From the overseas standpoint, I think we all left it all out there. For the locals there is a lot of talent here and I think Bermuda is in good hands and I hope that there can be a lot of pride and contentment based on what happened at this tournament that will bode well for the future.”

Smith’s got off to the worst possible start as they lost opener Okera Bascome and Jonté Smith, each without scoring and both victims of left-arm spinner Derrick Brangman.

In early trouble, Reifer, the Barbados and West Indies all-rounder, was called to enter the fray at No 4, and he and captain Onias Bascome successfully stopped the early bleeding.

Bascome received a life upon reaching 27 when his attempt to cut towards backward point miscued and was sent to third man, where Charles Trott dropped the regulation offering, much to the chagrin of Brathwaite.

Hurricanes continued to endure failures in the field as Reifer was dropped on 40 in the eighteenth over, with the total 125 for four.

Reifer and Sixers took full advantage of their opponents’ gaffes, plundering 41 off the last three overs in reaching their final total.

Reifer ended with a sedate unbeaten 47 from 44 balls as Allan Douglas Jr (37) and Malachi Jones (14 not out) produced some aerial fireworks, the former lashing four sixes, while the latter smashed two.

Bowling at the death, Jordan DeSilva was severely punished by the pair, as his one wicket claimed cost 61 runs, with Brangman Hurricanes’ best bowler with three for 16.

Even as his side fell at the final hurdle, Onias Bascome was gracious in defeat.

“At the end of the day someone has to win and someone has to lose,” Bascome said.

“We did not come out on the side that I would have wanted to, but that’s motivation for next year. There were a lot of good things that came out of this tournament and that bodes well for the development of cricket.

“This was a well-held tournament and I’m hopeful that the organisers can look to build on this and be even better the next time out.”

Winning coach Clay Smith was enamoured by the resilience and fight demonstrated by his charges in seizing the first Bermuda Smash Invitational title.

“We had a very good team,” said Smith. “If you look at our team it’s a very experienced group of players who have been around the game for quite some time.

“We just had to fine-tune one or two things and I kept telling the guys how it’s about putting together a complete game and I thought today we were very close to having that complete game.

“Other than one dropped catch, we played extremely well and I’m very proud of my boys. I’m very proud of them.

“I take my hat off to Carlos Brathwaite as he’s had tremendous leadership influence among this group. He’s very humble and down-to-earth and the guys have been very receptive to him, and today my skipper led from the front in a game that was most critical.”