All-rounder Jamar Griffith captured his second successive Man Of The Match award as two-time champions CGI Maple snatched a dramatic victory by eight runs (Duckworth/Lewis Method) over ICBL Empire in a rain-interrupted first semi-final of the Sagicor General Twenty20 competition at Kensington Oval on Thursday night.
The left-arm spinner bagged four wickets for 12 runs from two overs to help restrict Empire to 57 for eight, as they pursued a revised target of 66 in nine overs after rain halted play in the fourth over of their reply to Maple’s 137 for five.
From a position of 18 without loss when play resumed at 10:40 p.m., after a 90-minute stoppage, the “Blues” crumbled in the face of disciplined bowling and sure-handed catching by the two-time champions.
Maple owed their challenging total to a splendid, though fortuitous, knock by Shane Parris, who cracked 81 from 63 balls before retiring hurt with five balls remaining in the innings.
Parris, who came in at the fall of the first wicket from the fourth delivery, was let off four times by butter-fingered Empire fielders who missed at least six catches.
The right-hander was strong on the onside and unfurled a volley of wristy drives and flicks in stroking eight fours and three sixes, while spearheading a revival that helped his team, who won the toss, to recover from 18 for three in 3.3 overs.
His 50 off 46 balls with five fours and a six was made out of a total of 79 for four while Griffith (18 not out) and Orman Kellman (10) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.
Pacer Justin Greaves grabbed three wickets for 28 runs for Empire, who included little-known Trinidadian left-handed batsman Mark Deyal in their line-up but sorely missed their most experienced batsmen Ryan Hinds and Alcindo Holder, who are out of the country.
Deyal, a left-handed opener, was the only batsman to reach double figures for Empire, scoring two fours and a six in 19 off 14 balls.
