The final pair for the SDC/Wray and Nephew National Community T20 final has been confirmed as Boscobel C.C of St Mary and St Thomas’ Whitehorses will meet on August 21 to determine the national champion.
The two teams recorded reasonably comfortable wins over Comfort C.C and South Star United on Sunday at Ultimate Cricket Ground.
In the first semifinal, Boscobel defeated Comfort by 4 wickets in a game where no batsman got beyond 39 runs.
Batting first Comfort with the opening pair of Lorenzo McDonald and Odane Thomas did not get the start they had hoped for as Thomas was bowled by fast bowler Andel Gordon having hit just a boundary in his 11-ball stay for 10 runs. At 17 runs for 1 wicket Damian walked to the crease and in his ever-positive approach, stroked two boundaries. Bryce too found it difficult to maintain a strike rate above a hundred as his 17 runs came off 21 balls. By the time he was bowled by Kevin Daley he had added 41 runs with McDonald who was looking to play the anchor role. The biggest partnership of the innings came from the third wicket with McDonald and captain Brad Barnes sharing in a 47 runs stand. Both batsmen were however kept in-check by some smart bowling from the Boscobel team.
Barnes managed to up the tempo in his innings as he smashed two sixes on his way to 30 runs from just 23 balls. McDonalds runs were less aggressive as he managed just two fours in his top score of 39 runs which came from 44 balls. But with the game approaching the final 5 overs Comfort was far from Comfortable at 105 runs for 3 balls. A nine ball spell from the Boscobel team would however turn the game on its head as McDonald was first removed by Gordon.
Six balls later Alwyn Williams had the prize wicket of Barnes, and before the celebrations among the Boscobel fans settled, Zidane Gordon was also walking back with off-spinner Gihon Murdoch getting into the act, reducing Comfort to 115 runs for 5 wickets.
Gordon Bryan tried to revive the innings as he had the Ultimate crowd on its feet with an entertaining innings of 24 not out from 14 balls. His 3 fours and 1 six help Comfort limp to 138 runs for 7 balls as Rajay Morris 6 runs and Hanif Martin 1 run could not propel them to the 150 runs mark.
Andel Gordon ended with 2 wickets for 29 runs for Boscobel, while Alwyn Williams, Gihon Murdoch, Tyrone Daley and Kevin Daley all had a wicket each.
The ever-reliable Alwyn Williams walked to the middle with Maurice Harrow with one mission in mind, getting off to a quick start. And the pair did just that as Boscobel raced to 46 runs off the first 4 overs.
Williams was in a dominant mood as he blazed 28 runs from just 15 balls. However, his innings of 4 fours and 1 six were cut short with bowler Brad Barnes and Gordon Bryan combining for his dismissal. Tyron Daley replaced Williams not just at the crease but also in approach as he allowed Harrow to play the role of the clue holding the innings together.
Daley took no time to settle and despite changes in the field and different bowling combinations, the left-hander kept finding the boundary, hitting 5 fours in 27 balls. Jaheem Bartley though could the breakthrough as Daley was caught for 31 but by then Boscobel were well placed at 105 for 2 after 13.4 overs.
Captain Orlando Lyons was under no pressure and it was evident when he struck a four and a six. He quickly raced to 14 from 8 balls and the win was now in sight at 127 runs for 2 wickets, with Boscobel needing 11 to get from 25 balls.
But when he was bowled by Bartley, not many were prepared for what followed. Three balls later, Harrow was bowled by Gordon Bryan for 36. Zendai Williams for a duck and Trevaun Williams for 1 followed shortly with Boscobel losing four wickets for 8 runs. However, Kevin Daley with a boundary off the first ball of the 19th over saw them over the line at 139 runs for 6 wickets.
Bartley ended with 3 wickets for just 8 runs while Bryan had 2 for 20.
The second semifinal Whitehorses, on the back of a strong batting performance, beat South Stars United by 26 runs. Batting first, Whitehorses managed to post 155 runs for 8 wickets. Mark Campbell and Yahvi Gould laid the foundation as they put on 36 runs for the first wicket. Both fell 9 runs apart, with Campbell bowled by Sherdon Allen for 16 runs and Gould caught off the same bowler for 18 runs.
Jaer Campbell was the standout player for Whitehorses with the bat, as his top score of 42 runs was the building block of their total. Campbell hit 4 fours and a six as his innings lasted 39 balls. The other contributions towards the end came from Chevon Simpson, who made 15 runs and 13 runs each from Fitzgerald Anderson and Romaine McCalla.
Allen, who got the ball rolling for his team, ended with 3 wickets for 37 runs, while Jamie Merchant had 2 wickets for 24 runs and Damian Blackwood 2 wickets for 31 runs.
With the power and experience in the South Stars team, 156 runs looked like an achievable target. The target looked even more realistic when Jermain Morgan and Kashane McDaniel added 46 runs in the opening 6 overs.
The next 42 runs, however, came at the cost of 5 wickets, starting with Morgan for 18 runs and McDaniel for a top score of 30 runs. Rasheed Raymon 24 runs and Rushane Allen 22 runs were the only other batsmen with meaningful contributions, while Andre Morgan 12 runs was the only other player to get to double figures.
The Collapse also saw South Stars losing 4 wickets for 4 runs in 2.2 overs before their innings came to a close at 129 runs for 9 wickets.
Pacer Keno Wallace had the time of his life, bagging 4 wickets for 30 runs while Anderson picked up 3 wickets for 28 runs.
The Grand Final for the Competition’s T/10 Master, T/10 Female and the SDC/Wray and Nephew National Community T/20 Cricket will be held at the Port Rhoades Sports Club (Noranda), Discovery Bay, St. Ann, on Sunday, August 21. With the gates set to open at 8:00am with an admission fee of $1000 the 2022 season will culminate with live stage show performance from Capleton, Laa Lee and others.
The 3rd and 4th place playoff will take place on Saturday, August 20 at the Port Rhoades Sports Club (Noranda).
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