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By Keith Holder
LONG-STANDING arch-rivals ICBL Empire and Super
Centre Spartan will now contest the final of the
2006 Sagior General Super Cup cricket championship
at the Carlton ground, Black Rock on October 22.
The match has been switched from the original venue,
Windward Club ground, Lucas Street, St. Philip.
It
will be the third time the island’s two most revered
clubs are clashing in the top limited overs
championship which is in its 32nd year. They met in
the very first final under the banner of the
Barbados Fire Cup in 1975 and again in 1990 with
Spartan winning on both occasions.
Bank-Hall based Empire are the holders and will be
seeking their fourth title in eight finals, while
the Parkites boast of a record eight cups. It will
be their 10th final – which is also unprecedented.
In
the October 8 semi-finals which attracted big
crowds, Empire defeated their victims in last
season’s final, BNB St. Catherine, by seven runs at
Bank Hall, and Spartan beat newcomers Sagicor UWI by
six wickets at Brereton.
Both victories were achieved on the Duckworth/Lewis
method following interruptions for rain. The D/L
method was introduced for the first time this season
from the quarter-finals.
Ryan Hinds, the Barbados captain, played a key role
with both bat and ball for Empire. Left-hander Hinds
hit 70 off 82 balls with ten threes and two fours.
He and captain and fellow left-hander Jason Haynes,
who topscored with 77 from 87 deliveries with 11
threes and a four, added 132 off 24.1 overs for the
second wicket in a total of 273 for six off the
allotted 50 overs after the home team won the toss.
The
in-form all-rounder Kevin Stoute slammed an unbeaten
50 off 41 balls with six threes and three fours. He
put on 68 in just 8.2 overs for the sixth wicket
with fast bowling all-rounder Javon Searles, who
made 28 off 26 balls.
Fast bowler Brian Shepherd, who came close to
achieving a hat-trick, took three for 42 off seven
overs including the wickets of Hinds and Alcindo
Holder off successive balls, along with Haynes.
Medium-pacer Joel Leacock chipped in with two for
44.
St.
Catherine reached 23 without loss off six overs when
rain interrupted their innings and held up play for
72 minutes. They were then set a revised target of
198 off 32 overs and passed 100 with just one wicket
down in the 20th over but were eventually restricted
to 190 for eight.
Leacock batted attractivey for the topscore of 66
from 80 balls with 14 threes. Fellow opener Dayne
Maynard contributed 28 in a stand of 59 off 10.2
overs, Horace Walrond made 24, Patrick Browne 21 and
Lonelle Hutson 14, Hutson opening his shoulders
against big fast bowler Ryan Nurse in a desperate
late bid.
Twenty runs were needed off the last two overs after
13 came from the 29th by Nurse against the
big-hitting Hutson, but Searles pulled it back by
conceding just four runs from the penultimate over
including the wicket of Hutson.
Nurse, who took the first three wickets, ended with
four for 70 off ten overs, Searles picked up two for
24 and man-of-the-match Hinds, two for 49.
It
was much easier for Spartan. They dismissed UWI for
223 in 46.2 overs after putting them in, and reached
a revised target of 213 off 48 overs with 20 balls
to spare following a rain interruption at the end of
the 39th over.
UWI’s innings was built around half-centuries from
Windward Islands first-class players Rommel Currency
and Craig Emmanuel.
Emmanuel, a tall St. Lucian, hit the topscore of 69
at No. 7, and opener Currency, who comes from St.
Vincent, made 65 before he was run out.
The
best partnership of the innings was 65 for the third
wicket between Currency and wicket-keeper/batsman
Nekoli Parris (16). Ramnarine Chattergon, a
Guyanese, contributed 22 and fast bowler Nhamo Winn
16.
Fast bowler Philip Browne, ironically a graduate of
the UWI St. Augustine Campus, took three for 41 from
ten overs including the prized scalp of veteran
Barbados and former West Indies batsman Floyd
Reifer, who was caught at the wicket for eight.
Medium-pacer Rohan Nurse also had three for 41 off
nine overs and captain Sulieman Benn, a tall,
national left-arm spinner, picked up two for 18 off
9.2 overs in typically, economical style.
Nurse returned to topscore with 64 and shared the
man-of-the-match award with the heavy-set Mark
Trotman, who made an unbeaten 61. The pair added 123
for the fourth wicket.
Barbados opener Wayne Blackman scored 39 and Corey
Yearwood, recently back from a professional contract
in Britain, 21.
Emmanuel took two for 29.
The
champions will pocket $10 000 while the runners-up
gain $7 000.
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Scores
