By: Curtis Morton
A huge, vociferous crowd was in attendance at the ET Willet Park on Thursday 1st May, incidentally the 61st birthday of the man after whom the Park is named.
They were not there for a birthday celebration however, they were there to witness the 2014 second division finals between the talented Charlestown Secondary School team and the powerful Four Seasons line up.
CSS won the toss and opted to bat first and managed 118 for 4 from the allotted 20 overs. Philo Wallace, Ross Powell, Kezron Archibald and Saeed Williams, all got good starts but all got out in the twenties.
Four Seasons got off to an impressive start and seemed at one point to be running away with the game but the CSS school boys improved in their bowling and fielding efforts as the game progressed and willed on by sections of the crowd, pulled back the game to set up an exciting finish.
In the decisive penultimate over, bowled by Kezron Archibald, the Four Seasons team required 8 runs to clinch the game. Captain Denayson Browne essayed an elaborate drive to look back to see his lumber yard disturbed. The crowd was ecstatic.
Game on!
Nelson Boland another senior Nevis player strode to the crease but instead of being nervous and fidgety at the crease, even with the increased tension, strode purposefully down the track and heaved his second ball from Archibald, emphatically over the long-off boundary.
Game, set, match. Four Seasons had won the coveted second division trophy but the school boys had acquitted themselves well and should be justly proud of their performance.
Summarized scores:
CSS -118 for 4 in 20 overs: Philo Wallace 29; Ross Powell 24; Kezron Archibald and Saeed Williams 22 each
Nelson Boland and Zavero Forbes got 1 wicket each
Four Seasons Resort: 119 for 5 in 19 overs: Andre Browne 46; Javier Liburd 23
Kezron Archibald 2 for 16; Hakeem Harvey, Philo Wallace and Balgobin, all got one wicket each.
Four Seasons Resort won by 5 wickets
In a post match interview, Coach Mackay France of the winning team, congratulated the men in pink but also had warm words of congratulations for the school boys from the Charlestown Secondary School. He noted that at one time the school boys had him nervous but his team prevailed in the end.
President of the Nevis Cricket Association, Keith Scarborough, pointed to the positive response of the crowd as an indication that Cricket was alive and well on the island. He stated that there was more exciting Cricket upcoming as the newly initiated franchise tournament will commence on Saturday 10th May.