St. John boys are new Schools’ Under-19 champions

By Elvis Howard

THE Lodge School ended Combermere’s reign as the Barbados Cricket Association Schools’ Under-19 one-day champions with a well-earned seven-wicket victory in the final at the Police Sports Complex, Weymouth ‘A’ on Thursday, November 9, 2006.

Set a modest 163 in the allotted 40 overs for only their third title at this level, Lodge attained the target with 17 deliveries to spare. The Society, St. John-based school was spurred home by an unfinished fourth-wicket stand of 73 in 13.3 overs between Barbados under-19 players, captain Shamarh Brooks and Kyle Hope.

The talented Brooks, who represented West Indies in the last Under-19 Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka, compiled a measured 54, which contained just three fours off 76 balls.

The vastly improving Hope, who like Brooks was recently called to senior Barbados trials, hit 41 from 48 deliveries with two fours. The duo joined forces in the 24^th over when Micah St. Hill, who laboured 39 balls for his six runs, was caught at the wicket off left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.

While Hope was playing some wristy strokes on both sides of the wicket, Brooks provided that much needed solidity to the middle order despite suffering from cramps when nine runs were needed for victory.

Combermere squandered an opportunity to separate the pair when Warrican put down a difficult caught and bowled chance from Brooks who was on 27 and the score 95.

That apart, the pair batted with great aplomb and kept the Combermerians at bay despite the efforts of four spinners.

Openers Kyle Corbin, with 27, and Renaldo Arthur (16) gave the innings the early impetus with 41 from 8.3 overs. Left-arm orthodox spinner Andre Marshall, who conceded 16 runs from eight overs, broke through when he enticed Arthur down the track to be stumped.

The in-form Kyle Corbin played an exquisite cover-drive for four off Gary Belle but then holed out to long-on off the very next ball.

Thereafter, Man-of-the-Match Brooks and Hope dashed Combermere’s hopes of yet another schools’ title.

Earlier, the dethroned champions chose to bat and were all out off the final ball of the 40^th over. The score was far less than they would have expected after reaching 91 for two after the half-way stage.

They were given an enterprising start by Steven Blackett and Andre Ferdinand but with the score at 40, Blackett was caught behind in the fifth over off fast bowler Dawayne Sealy for 17. Five runs later Sealy also accounted for Ferdinand, who made 23 from 20 balls with a solitary boundary.

Reydon Toppin topscored with a spirited 43 off 74 balls that did not contain a single boundary. There were also worthwhile contributions from Carlos Brathwaite (27), who has also been invited to senior national trials for the first time, and Khrisnan Hurdle (20).

Barbados Under-19 players Brathwaite and Toppin posted 55 for the third wicket before both went by the run out route. Brathwaite fell first to a direct hit from Brooks at short mid-off.

After they were parted, Lodge served up a heavy diet of spin with all but 13 overs sent down by the spinners who applied the brakes on the scoring rate.

All told the innings contained just six fours on the newly laid pitch at a venue which will be used as a practice facility for the 2007 ICC World Cup.

Summarised scores of the 2006 BCA Schools’ Under-19 final:

At Police Sports Complex, Weymouth ‘A’: Lodge beat Combermere by seven wickets.

Combermere 162 all out (40 overs) (Reydon Toppin 42, Carlos Brathwaite 27, Andre Ferdinand 23, Krishnan Hurdle 20, Steven Blackett 20; Steve Pinder 2-26, Dawayne Sealy 2-42).

Lodge 163-3 (37.1 overs) (Shamarh Brooks 54 not out, Kyle Hope 41 not out, Kyle Corbin 27, Renaldo Arthur 16).

Man-of-the- Match: Shamarh Brooks.

Adjudicator: Livy Coppin.

Umpires: Aliston Benn, Mervyn Jones.

HONOUR ROLL

Most runs: Shamar Cooke (Garrison Secondary) 329 (including two centuries).

Most wickets: Kemar Roach (Alexandra) 17.

Wicket-keeper with most dismissals: Renaldo Arthur (Lodge) 8.

Fielder with most catches: Akeem Nero (Alexandra) & Shamarh Brooks (Lodge) 4.

Written by Elvis Howard