South Stars Cricket Team showed why they will be tough to beat in their bid for the Manchester Parish champions title after they easily defeated Comfort Cricket Team by 4 wickets in their SDC/WRAY & NEPHEW National T/20 Community Cricket competition game on Sunday, May 15, 2022.
It was Comfort who won the toss and decided defending would be the better option on a quick, lively French Park pitch. Openers Lorenzo McDonald and Brian Barnes were watchful in the opening overs as the pair scored at a little over 6 runs an over for the first 5 over spell. The two got to 32 runs before Daniel Russell was introduced into the attack and three runs later, he struck, removing McDonald for 17 runs with the combined score of 35 runs for 1 wicket.
However, that would be the only success for South Stars in their next six overs as Damion Bryce joined Barnes and the two went about building a good partnership score. Bryce signaled his intentions early, scoring two boundaries in his first six balls faced. The left-hander was the aggressor in the partnership as Barnes kept rotating the strike picking up singles with the odd boundary. By the time Barns was caught off the bowling of Sherdon Allen, he had made a crucial 31 runs, with his innings consisting of one four and a six. This contributed to a partnership of 40 runs as Comfort found themselves 77 runs for 2 wickets after 13 overs.
The new batsman Matthew Morgan took little time to settle as he and Bryce added another 48 runs. Morgan was severe on anything loose as he hit 3 sixes and 1 four in a confident knock of 31 not out. Bryce, who hit a top score of 52 runs, was eventually dismissed in a spell that saw Comfort Cricket Team losing three wickets for 18 runs in the last three overs. The innings closed at 147 runs for 5 wickets, with Zidane Gordon scoring 3 runs and Lansford Spence zero dismissed in quick succession. West ended with 2 wickets for 25 runs from his four overs to be the pick of the South Stars bowlers.
With 148 runs needed for victory, South Stars needed to judge their run chase perfectly and opener Allen Powell gave them the start they hoped for, scoring 17 runs off Hanif Martin’s first over. Damion Bryce would, however, bring it back for his team in the second over, conceding just 3 runs from his first over. Lorenzo McDonald was entrusted to bowl the third over, replacing Martin and immediately rewarded his captain’s faith with the wicket of Powell for 18 runs.
Six runs later, former national youth representative Sanjay Walker was also sent back to the pavilion as McDonald had 2 wickets for 11 runs in two overs. New Batsmen Tristan Coleman and Oshane Walters would attempt to stabilize the innings as they jointly posted 31 runs, taking the score to 60 runs for 2 wickets after 7 overs. Comfort would strike not once but twice in consecutive overs reducing South Stars to 70 runs for 4 wickets and all of a sudden, the game was looking even.
However, the South Stars batsmen held their nerve and with some strong lower-order hitting from Rymani Christian and Rusane Allen the team got home at 148 runs for 6 wickets in 19.1 overs.
Coleman ended as the top scorer with 37 runs as McDonald and Landsford Spence both ended with two wickets.
In the second game of the day, home team French Park got the better of Lane/Turner Top/Butt-Up by 5 wickets in a low-scoring encounter. Batting first, Lane/Turner Top/Butt-Up were blown away for just 70 runs. Lenroy Reid Top scored with 19 runs not out, being the only batsman to reach double figures. Jordan Jodson took 2 wickets for 12 runs and Zavier Burton took 2 wickets for 22 runs were the top wicket-takers from the French Park Cricket team.
In their run chase, the Lane/Turner Top/Butt Up Cricket Team looked as if they would pull off a remarkable victory as French Park was reeling at 31 runs for 4 wickets. Aldrick Wint (3 runs), Shaquiel Brown (0), Zavier Burtin (4 runs) and Steve Edwards (5 runs) were all dismissed inside the first 9 overs, with Paul Walker accounting for all four wickets.
However, with Walker’s four overs done, Jordan Jobson added some life to the innings hitting three fours and two sixes in a top score of 43 runs not out, to lead his team to victory at 71 for 5.
Over the next two weeks, 38 community cricket teams will continue to face-off in a round robin format before the top teams move forward to the next round. The next exciting feature match is scheduled for Sunday May 22, 2022, and will take place at Sir. P’s Oval, Treadlight, Clarendon. The match fixture dictates that May Pen Lions Cricket Team will face the Bushy Park Cricket Team at 10:00 am. At 2:00 pm, the defending Racecourse Cricket Team will go up against the May Pen Lions Cricket Team.
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