Curtis Morton:
It was a SCREAMER of a match. It certainly brought out the animated and sometimes hysterical screams of the members of the sizeable crowd on hand.
This, as the grand finals of the Village Premier league (VPL), was held at the Hard Times playing field, on Sunday 17th June.
Defending champions Beaters, confidently chose to bat first and were off to a rollicking start, versus Young Warriors, who were in their first final of the league.
Skipper Adelvin Phillip and seasoned campaigner, Junior DUNCAN Mills, carted the early bowlers, all around the ground and they were soon on 80 for 1 from just about six overs.
However, a telling over by seamer Alvin, turned the game on its head. He bowled a superb over, mixed with slower balls, to Junior Mills and had him missing in action, in a big way and then had him caught off the final delivery.
The run scoring was restricted after that and several more wickets fell.
Beaters still managed an imposing target of 118 runs from their 12 overs.
In response, Alvin also started aggressively and along with Skipper Anand, always kept the Young Warriors in the hunt.
It came down to a breath taking 6 runs, required from the last 6 balls. You just could not have asked for a better finals.
And with Premier Mark Brantley and Minister of Sports, Hon. Eric Evelyn, among the riveted spectators, former Nevis off spinner, Trevier Smithen, was entrusted with the final over.
First ball up, he cleaned bowled Elroy JIMBO David for a golden duck; second ball, the new batsman, Patrick Newton, pulled to deep midwicket for one; third ball, Sharma pulled to deep midwicket and Adelvin Phillip pulled off a super save, to restrict the batsmen to just one.
Three balls remaining and all of four runs needed for victory. The spectators were on pins and needles.
Patrick Newton took strike and swung lustily. For a moment, Adelvin Phillip looked skyward and the spectators waited with baited breaths and then Adelvin Phillip shook his head in dismay, as the ball sailed over his head and over the midwicket boundary for a huge maximum!
The Young Warriors team mates and supporters, piled onto the field in jubilation. They had won!
Summarized scores: Beaters 118 for 5 in 12 overs: Junior Mills 42; Adelvin Phillip 37
Rakeesh 2 for 19; Alvin 1 for 21
Young Warriors 121 for 5 in 11.4 overs: Anand 45*; Alvin 25
Adelvin Phillip 1 for 25; Nelson Boland 1 for 21
Young Warriors won by 5 wickets
In an exhibition match, played prior to the finals, Easterns defeated Bushwhackers.
Summarized scores: Bushwhackers 59 for 3 in 6 overs: Huggins 36; Carlon Smithen 20
Easterns 63 for 1 in 5.1 overs: Curtis Morton Sr 34; Jelani Manners 21*
Easterns won by 9 wickets