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Review by: KEITH
HOLDER
KEVIN Stoute lived up to his billing as one of the
island’s most talented, emerging all-rounders with a
crucial knock of 75 and two key wickets as Empire
fought to an 18-run win over Cable & Wireless at
Bank Hall.
Having been put in on a typically hard, true
surface, Empire lost their first four wickets for 27
runs by the middle of the 13th over, then tottered
on 64 for six in the 26th before Stoute skillfully
guided the rest of the batting, which stretches to
No. 11 in Amory Holder, who boasts of a Division 1
century this season
The fact that no other batsman passed 20 in a total
of 177 all out off the very last ball of the innings
when Stoute fell to off-spinner Anthony Morris,
underlined the dominance of the 21-year-old. He
faced 110 balls and struck six threes and three
fours.
Stoute and wicket-keeper Jamal Smith (17) featured
in the best partnership of the innings – 46 in 13.5
overs for the seventh wicket. Fast bowler Corey
Edwards took three for 28 to lift his tally of
wickets for the tournament to 17.
An attacking Ron Bates helped Cable & Wireless to
pass 50 in a jiffy with only captain Mwanghi Broomes
dismissed. Randy Thomas was also playing some
attractive strokes and the Empire players and their
supporters looked worried.
Then came the ‘magic man’ Stoute again. In his
second over from the southern end, the medium-pacer
lured Bates into a big drive and the ball was in the
air for a seemingly long time as the sure-handed
Alcindo Holder ran in from long-off to his left to
hold the catch.
Bates scored 37 off 30 balls with six threes and
three fours and Cable & Wireless were 64 for two
after 10.4 overs.
Empire suddenly came alive and Stoute and left-arm
spinner Ryan Hinds succeeded in restricting the
scoring rate. The effect was that Thomas and his
father Rommel Brathwaite could only add 12 in seven
overs before Brathwaite was leg before wicket on the
backfoot by Hinds.
Thomas, with 21 off 45 deliveries, suffered a
similar fate against the same bowler two overs later
and when former Barbados captain and West Indies
wicket-keeper Courtney Browne was brilliantly caught
low at mid-off by Alcindo Holder from a drive off
Stoute, Cable & Wireless were in some bother at 104
for five in the 27th over.
All-rounder Ryan Layne and the experienced Brian
Johnson set about consolidating before Johnson was
run out as he backed up too far attempting a single
on the on-side.
Off-spinner Amory Holder, who came on from the
southern end after a lengthy debate among four
members of the team, proved effective. He lured
Layne, who made 36 off 67 balls, into a drive and
Hinds took a splendid, low catch at extra-cover.
It left Cable & Wireless on 134 for seven at the
completion of the 37th over but Empire knew that
with the dangerous Anthony Morris heading to the
crease, the match was still open.
In his usual no-nonsense style, Morris raced to 18
off 16 balls as 21 runs came off four overs before
he edged Amory Holder into the gloves of Smith at
the end of the 41st over.
Off the first ball of the next over, Edwards ran
himself out as, like Johnson, he attempted a single
which Cyprian Payne had no interest in after playing
the ball towards point. Payne was soon leg before
wicket by Amory Holder, who finished with three for
16.
Hinds had the impressive figures of two for 19 off
ten overs but everyone knew that the
man-of-the-match award belonged to Stoute, who took
two for 33.
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