2003 BARBADOS FIRE & COMMERCIAL CUP REVIEW

Sept. 7th
QUARTER-FINALS

Wins for Spartan, Empire, St. Catherine and Police

CHAMPIONS Spartan, arch-rivals Empire and St. Catherine all booked semi-final berths on September 7, while Police knocked out Carlton in a rescheduled match on September 20.

In the semifinals, on a date to be announced, Empire clash with Spartan at Bank Hall and St. Catherine oppose Police at Bayfield.

SEPTEMBER 7

AT BANK HALL: Empire, the only team with an unblemished record, again showed their versatility with a 116-run win despite the presence of West Indies captain Brian Lara in the Maple side.

After winning the toss, Roland Holder's team amassed 250 all out in 49.5 overs. Gifted Alcindo Holder, who is developing into an all-rounder, topscored with 55 off 60 balls. Opener Jason Haynes hit 42 and there was a last wicket partnership of 41 between Keagan Alleyne (24 not out) and Ian Perryman (22).

Pacer Khalid Springer took three for 32 off nine overs.

Set a revised target of 230 in 45 overs due to an interruption for rain, Maple were given a solid start of 70 by Pedro Agard (37) and Jefferson Gibbons (31) but once they were parted in the 16th over, a collapse set in and they were bowled out for 114 in 36.4 overs.

Lara, playing his second Fire Cup match this season, again failed. He scored just one before hitting a full toss back to Holder, who took four for 21 to easily capture the man-of-the-match award.

Pacer Perryman picked up four for 47.

AT QUEEN’S PARK: In a match reduced to 45 overs a side because of a one-hour late start due to rain, Spartan beat YMPC by 75.

Spartan owed a total of 173 all out from 38.1 overs after being put in, to veterans Philo Wallace and Livy Puckerin. Wallace hit 64 off 91 balls including five fours and four sixes through the on-side, while Puckerin made 48 as the pair added 91 in 16.2 overs for the fourth wicket.

The last seven wickets fell for 50 runs.

YMPC were given a brisk start with captain Adrian Jones (30) and Lonsdale Blake (11) adding 52 for the first wicket but they, too, collapsed and were dismissed for 98 in 30.5 overs.

Medium-pacer Kevin Stoute grabbed four for 19, which earned him the man-of-the-match award, while left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn picked up three for five.

AT BAYFIELD:
 Rain also forced a reduction in the number of overs as two stoppages led to a 38-over-a-side battle, which St. Catherine won by seven wickets.

As it turned out, 19-year-old off-spinner Kenroy Williams, who captained the Barbados youth team last year, undermined the Pickwick batting, minus West Indies players Ryan Hinds and Ryan Hurley, with six for 19 off 9.4 overs as they could muster only 98 in 31.4 overs after winning the toss. Williams was man-of-the-match.

There was yet another dramatic slump with five wickets falling without a run scored after being 82 for four.

Patrick Browne's unbeaten 51 propelled St. Catherine to 99 for three in 34.1 overs.

SEPTEMBER 20

AT BLACK ROCK: The last semifinal place was taken by Police who manhandled Carlton in a replay after rain had hit the September 7 encounter.

Trevor Griffith’s side won by six wickets as early as 2.40 p.m. following the usual 10 o’ clock start.

Having won the toss on a pitch tailor-made for batting, Carlton were dismissed for 95 in 35 overs. Police took just 19.3 overs to knock off the runs.

There were only two batsmen to reach double-figures for Carlton – Bruce Chandler, who made 21 batting at No.8 and the No.4 Kirk Gibson (13).

Left-arm spinner Sadiq Hill was the leading wicket-taker with three for 27 off his allotment of ten overs. Off-spinner Stanton Proverbs picked up two for 14, fast bowler Ryan Willoughby two for 18 and medium-pacer Carl Marshall two for 24.

Man-of-the-Match Willoughby, getting the ball to move both ways, created the early problems by removing left-hander Jason Clarke, leg before wicket for one and his opening partner and Barbados player Dale Richards, who was caught at the wicket by Stephenson Herbert for five. There were four victims for Herbert.

Marshall accounted for another Barbados player, Kurt Wilkinson for eight in his first over and at 25 for three, there was sure to be panic in the Carlton dressing room.

Kenrick Marshall, an older brother of Carl, and in his first match of the season since returning from a professional contract in Britain, was his usual mean self, conceding just 11 runs from seven overs.

Police lost Herbert early and even though Carlton managed to take the first three wickets with the score 40, the target was simply not enough as Proverbs hit 35 including three boundaries in one over which cost 14 runs from off-spinner Ryan Austin to hasten the victory.

Rain forced an abandonment of play on September 7 after seepage under the covers on the pitch before Police could respond to a target of 234 off the allotted 50 overs.

It was a pity the rain had intervened. Set up by a second wicket partnership of 123 between Richards (73) and Wilkinson (52), Carlton made 233 all out in 47.3 overs after winning the toss. Shirley Clarke contributed 44. Proverbs took four for 44.