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By Elvis Howard
At Beckles Road
A memorable, unbroken ninth wicket partnership of 85
by all-rounders Hattian Graham and Dave Marshall
earned Spartan a place in the semi-finals against
the odds.
Graham with 52, and Marshall 39, turned the gripping
contest with new Division 1 champions YMPC
completely on its head after Spartan, the most
successful team with eight titles, were down and
virtually out at 52 for eight after 13.1 overs,
chasing 136 from the full 50 overs.
With exceptional batting of two very seasoned and
former Barbados players the “Parkites” won by two
wickets with as many as 14 overs left.
After a short break for rain at 70 for eight, YMPC’s
players lost all the early exuberance and the
right-handed pair fully capitalized. The home side
did not help their cause with bowling changes and
fielding placing that did more harm than good.
Spartan were rocked early on by fast bowler Tennyson
Roach, the main destroyer with the excellent figures
of five for 32. He claimed all his wickets in an
opening spell of eight overs from the southern end.
Wayne Blackman was undone by a delivery that plucked
his off-stump out. His opening partner Corey
Yearwood also made five before he edged Roach, to
gully.
On resumption from lunch at 14 for three, things
continued downhill for Spartan as Rohan Nurse lobbed
a simple catch to cover off Roach. With the score on
25, Dwayne Jordan had the prize scalp of former
Barbados wicket-keeper batsman Livy Puckerin who was
trapped in front. After the dismissal of Puckerin,
YMPC had a scent of victory even more as Spartan
lost a further three wickets to be tottering just
past the half-century mark.
However, the rest of the proceedings belonged to the
level- headed Graham and the never say-die Marshall.
Apart from one or two possible ran out chances, they
stuck to the task manfully and ensured they
entertained the large crowd.
Graham counted seven threes and the only four of the
innings over cover that brought up his well deserved
half-century in his 81 ball -knock. Marshall, who
relishes such an opportunity to show his worth,
lashed an equal amount of threes off 47 balls.
Earlier, YMPC asked to bat, got up to 135 all out
from 39.2 overs on a pitch that was not entirely
conducive to strokeplay even though a number of
batsmen had ‘soft’ dismissals.
Adrian Jones’ hook shot landed in the hands of
Philip Browne at square-leg for just three. Lonsdale
Blake, 24 off 56 balls with five threes and Ryan
Wiggins, with three threes in his 24, posted 43 for
the third wicket in 13. 3 overs. The stand was
broken when Wiggins’s forcing back-foot shot found
the edge and was taken behind.
There was a 15-minute break for rain at 11:00 a.m
and Spartan struck first ball when play restarted as
Blake failed to beat Blackman’s excellent throw from
cover to the keeper after a mix up with captain
Calvin Watson.
Watson stayed around for a while for the topscore of
29 including a four and three threes from 58
deliveries. One of the boundaries was a cover drive
off Nurse that was indeed the shot of the match.
But Watson and the rest of the batting succumbed to
the spin of Marshall and Nurse as the spinners came
into their own. Watson was caught short at extra
cover by his opposite number Sulieman Benn.
Leg-spinner Marshall ended with three for 28, as he
also accounted for William Lashley, who hit a long-
hop to Yearwood at deep-wicket. Nurse captured two
for 26.
In the end Spartan’s two heroes dashed YMPC’s dreams
of staying on course for a rare double in local
cricket. It certainly was not for the faint-hearted
but you had to be there to believe it.
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Scores
