Former two-times champions Racecourse Cricket Team and first-time finalists Fairfield United Cricket Team will battle to be crowned winner of the SDC/Wray and Nephew National community T20 Competitions 2021 after semifinal victories over Links United Cricket Teams and Paradise Cricket Team respectively. The two teams who advanced through the play-off stage last week will meet in the championship game on Sunday, November 28, at the Noranda Sports Complex, Discovery Bay, St. Ann.
The just over 100 mix of support players and personnel cushioned the void left by the absence of spectators and created a tense atmosphere at the Ultimate Sports Complex for two keenly contested semifinals. In the first game under sweltering heat and a lightning-quick outfield, Fairfield won the toss and decided to bowl first against Paradise, who had not played since their Super-8 quarter-finals win over Old Harbour Cricket Team two weeks ago at Chedwin Park.
Openers Okeeno Farquharson and Shanda Francis found the opening over from Leighton Leslie tough to negotiate. However, Farquharson soon found his range and picked up the game’s first boundary with a lovely shot down the ground. He also struck a six, sending the SDC officials scampering towards the billowing smoke from the Ultimate Jerk Centre at the southern end. The two added 25 runs in the opening four overs, but Reon Edwards soon delivered two telling blows, with Francis first getting into a tangle before skying a simple catch to Jamie Merchant at square-leg for 5 runs. Before new batsman Howard Palmer had reached the non-striker’s end, Edwards struck again as Farquharson, who made 19 picked out Merchant at backward-point from a short-pitched delivery outside the off-stump.
At 25 runs for 2 wickets, the pair of Howard Palmer and Paul Palmer Jr., the winning combination from their Super-8 game, joined forces and set about rebuilding the innings. Click here to view full story