DARIO Cummins of Guardian General Youth collecting runs through the offside against Carib Carlton. He was unbeaten on 24 when the schoolboys achieved victory by six wickets.

by MIKE KING

CHAMPIONS UWI began the defence of the Sagicor General Super Cup with a victory, but it was a swashbuckling hundred from Pedro Agard and an unbeaten 93 from promising teen Roston Chase that created the biggest buzz last Sunday.

Agard, seeking to compensate for his double failure against Banks in the Division 1 final last year, blasted 137 and posted
an opening stand of 235 with Renaldo Parris at the Brewery.

Set a challenging 264 for victory, Maple, behind Agard's 115-ball innings, won by six wickets with more than nine overs to spare.

With Winston Reid no longer around to torment him, Agard smashed 13 fours and seven sixes, and Parris (nine fours and a six) against the weak Banks attack.
Former Test opener Sherwin Campbell is going to have a difficult time marshalling a Banks side that is likely to struggle without Reid's mesmerising left-arm spin.

Over at Paragon, champions Sagicor UWI started their defence of the title by defeating the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP) by 26 runs.

UWI batted first and were tottering on 93 for five before the durable Wendell Coppin (47) and Gilford Moore (37) revived the innings, which ended on 215.

The sports programme got off to a flying start, reaching 100 in the 16th over, but in a dramatic turn of events, they lost their last five wickets for just two runs and were dismissed for 189.

Chase seems to be in a rich vein of form. His sparkling unbeaten stand for the Guardian General Barbados Youth guided them
to a comfortable six-wicket win over.

His knock helped his team overhaul Carlton's 189 all out, off 42.2 overs, as Barbados Youth ended on 194 for four
off 48.2 overs.

One of the most exciting matches of the day was at Beckles Road where the home team eked out a nine-run victory over BRC BCL.

Steven Blackett, who has had a dismal run in Division 1, topscored with 44 and (44), and another 20-year-old Jed Yearwood 43 to help YMPC to a total of 230.

In the run chase, BCL turned to their experienced players 35-year-old Dave Clarke and Sean Armstrong. Clarke got 52, Armstrong 43 and former Combermere schoolboy Andre Ferdinand (44) but no one else reached 25 and BCL could only
manage 221.