Turks and wides sink Chile

Chilean batting hero Simon Shalders, 180 not out vs Turks & Caicos Islands © ICC

In an extraordinary day of cricket in Paramaribo, a day filled with cricket feats ranging from amazing to bizarre, Chile somehow self-destructed and paved the way for their defeat against the Turks & Caicos Islands at Snellen Park, by bowling an unbelievable 66 wides (conceding 78 extras overall) as they tried unsuccessfully to defend their imposing total of 289 for 9 in 50 overs.

In the end, the Turks & Caicos Islands sealed their second victory of the competition, reaching 290 for 8 in the 46th over, and thus head the standings after three days of absorbing cricket in Suriname.

Sadly, the headlines should all have been about Chilean opening batsman Simon Shalders, who gave one of the best batting performances in ICC cricket history in making a magnificent 180 not out, an awesome innings that included 22 sparkling fours and seven powerful sixes.

Batting throughout the Chilean innings, he dominated the opposition bowling throughout, mixing caution with exquisite shot-making. His dominance was such that the next highest Chilean batting contribution was 26 from Tim Messner, while captain Guy Hooper weighed in with 24.

His mastery was perhaps most evident in the closing stages of the Chilean innings, at one stage 203 for 8 with 12 overs remaining, Shalders shared in two precious tail-end partnerships, 48 for the 9th wicket with Mario Pavez, who made a valuable 7, and an unbroken 39 with last man Mike Meade, who ended 0 not out.

Simon Shalders (Chile) on his way to a massive 180 not out against Turks © ICC

In reply, the Turks & Caicos team were given the best possible start by the Chilean bowlers with a spate of wides, and without having to hit many shots in anger, they raced to 74 in 9 overs before losing the first wicket. The wides continued, and by the time the victory had been sealed, Chile had racked up a disastrous 66 wides, and their disappointment at the end of the game was obvious.

However, huge credit must go to Turks opening bat Ebbon Ceasear, who carved out a brilliant unbeaten 125 to steer the batting through some nervous moments along the way. His innings included 21 fours and 2 sixes, and he was deservedly carried off shoulder-high by his team-mates at the end of the game.

Still, Chile certainly had chances to recover and claim an important victory, and at one point, with the Turks at 209 for 6, it was certainly anybody's game. But big skipper Wayne William, whose 17 was the second best Turks batsman, shared a crucial 7th wicket partnership of 64 to take his team to the brink of victory.

A final moment of drama, as Shalders once again made his presence felt with a fine boundary catch, and the Turks were 274 for 8, needing another 16 for the win. But ultimately, and perhaps ironically, the winning runs did not come off the bat, but from one final Chilean wide.