2003 BARBADOS FIRE & COMMERCIAL CUP REVIEW

SERIES 5 – JULY 26

PHILIP BROWNE STARS WITH EIGHT-WICKET HAUL FOR SPARTAN AFTER WALLACE CENTURY

ZONE ‘A’

AT BANK HALL: EMPIRE again turned on the heat in brushing aside Cable & Wireless by six wickets.

Cable & Wireless’ 144 all out in 31.1 of a reduced 47 overs due to rain was a let down after reaching 92 for two. There were three double-figure contributors – Don O’Neale (45), Ryan Layne (28) and Courtney Browne (21.

Keegan Alleyne took three for 20 and Ryan Nurse, three for 21.

Shawn Graham, with an unbeaten 59 and captain Roland Holder (39) put together 87 for the fourth wicket to steady the innings after Empire were 44 for three. They won in 33.4 overs.

AT KENSINGTON OVAL: AN upbeat Pickwick, led by an unbeaten half-century from Ryan Hurley, triumphed by six wickets over Carlton.

Hurley scored 67 not out and with Mike Matthews (20 not out) put on 68 as Pickwick reached their target of 124 in 30.3 overs.

The Carlton batsmen found the going tough on a slow pitch after losing the toss and limped to 123 for nine off 50 overs. Mike Matthews and Thomas Harris, with a combination of seam and off-spin, both took three for 23 from ten overs each.

AT BECKLES ROAD: BCL continued to find the going tough as they fell to YMPC by six wickets.

Byron Morris hit 48, Jarvis Forde 39 and Bryan Neblett 27 in BCL’s 175 all out in 43.4 overs.

William Lashley, with 54, led YMPC’s victory charge as they took 38.2 overs. Captain Adrian Jones made 31 not out and Eric Batson 26.

ZONE ‘B’

AT QUEEN’S PARK: IT was a truly humiliating defeat by 235 runs for BDFSP as Spartan fast bowler Philip Browne achieved the first ever eight-wicket haul in the 29-year history of the island’s most prestigious One-Day tournament.

The 21-year-old Browne, taking advantage of his summer holidays from studies at the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, snapped up eight for 19 off eight overs as BDFSP could only muster 43 in 16.4 overs.

Roslyn Carter of Police took seven for eight against QEH at Weymouth ‘A’ in 1976 and Maple’s Lloyd Thompson had similar figures against Police at Trents four years later.

No batsman reached double-figures as Browne was simply brilliant.

“I’ve been working hard all season with coach Philo Wallace and members of the team have been encouraging me,” Browne said.

“I’ve been bowling reasonably well but I haven’t been getting results. They kept telling me to hang in there all the time and that it would happen and when it happens it would happen in abundance.

“Everything just fell into place. I told myself stick to the basics and keep working hard,” Browne said.

Earlier, Wallace, batting at No.3, slammed eight four and three sixes in 102 off 103 balls as Spartan amassed 278 all out in 47.5 overs. Wayne Blackman made 36 and Dion Lovell 30.

Left-arm spinner Dane Currency took four for 39.

AT BAYFIELD: ST. CATHERINE beat the rain en route to defeating Combined Schools on a faster run rate.

The Schools struggled to 149 all out in 42.2 overs with Omar Phillips scoring 24 and Nicholas Squires 23. Derick Bishop took three for 30.

Shawn Sargeant sustained his good form with an unbeaten 64 off 87 balls as St. Catherine reached 122 for three off 28 overs when rain ended play. Sargeant hit four fours and two sixes.

He and wicket-keeper Patrick Browne (20) added 75 for the third wicket. Browne also impressed behind the stumps with two stumpings and a catch.

AT DAYRELLS ROAD: WANDERERS suffered another defeat although making it tough for Police, who won by 14 runs.

Leslie Reifer showed that despite his over-40 age, he still commands respect as he hit 65 in a Police total of 211 all out in 48.2 overs.

Another veteran, Sylvester Louis, plundered two sixes and three fours in 42 and opener Rudolph Clarke made 30. Chris Humphrey took three for 51.

Wanderers were going steadily at 109 for two before falling for 197 in 47.5 overs. Owen Birch got 35, the consistent captain Dwayne Nurse 32 and Humphrey and Ian Bradshaw 27 each.

Louis made his presence felt with the ball as well, conceding just 19 runs from ten overs for a solitary wicket.