A SENSATIONAL opening three-wicket burst by pacer Diego Stuart propelled Nature Valley Lodge School to a six-wicket victory over Combermere at Church Hill, Christ Church, yesterday, and a place in the final of the Barbados Cricket Association's Schools' Competition.

Bowling with pace and swing on the firm Foundation School track, the dominant Stuart removed the prolific Kraigg Brathwaite for a second-ball duck and then dismissed the other two in-form Combermerians Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich for two and five respectively.

The Waterford lads never really recovered from the early loss of these batsmen and were limited to a paltry 119 in 29.4 overs.

Only Kimal Sealy, with 23, and Shane Murray, 20, offered any resistance to the bowlers.

Stefan Gooding, with three for 21, and Mario Miller, two for nine, provided the main bowling support to the rampaging Stuart who returned figures of three for 25.

Combermere's meagre total was never going to be enough and the The Lodge School soon put it into proper perspective.

They duly knocked off the required runs for the loss of four wickets, thanks mainly to a polished knock of 37 by captain Kyle Corbin. (MJ)

SCOREBOARD:

Nature Valley Lodge v Combermere

(AT CHURCH HILL)

Toss: Lodge; Weather: Sunny; Pitch: firm; Outfield: fast.

COMBERMERE

K. Brathwaite c Corbin b Stuart 0

*S. Dowrich c Rampersaud b Stuart 5

R. Chase c Rampersaud b Stuart 2

S. Murray c and b Gooding 20

J. Greaves b Arthur 2

D. Grainger c Springer b Gooding 8

J. Warrican c Arthur b Gooding 10

J. Marshall c Rampersaud b Miller 11

K. Sealy c Corbin b Miller 23

+D. Vaughn not out 5

D. Louis run out 2

Extras (b1, lb8, w22) 31

TOTAL (all out – 29.5 overs) 119

Wkts fell at: 1, 25, 31, 51, 51, 65, 69, 101, 113, 119.

Bowling: Stuart 5-0-25-3, Howard 5-0-25-0, Arthur 7-1-25-1, Gooding 8-2-21-3, Miller 3-0-9-2, Sargeant 1.5-0-13-0.

LODGE

+ K. Corbin lbw b Chase 37

J. Springer b Warrrican 6

D. Sargeant c Louis b Brathwaite 12

M. St. Hill b Louis 16

R. Arthur not out 19

S. Gooding not out 4

Extras (lb3, w18, nb5) 26

TOTAL (4 wkts – 34 overs) 120

Wkts fell at: 15, 55, 73, 114.

Did not bat: M. Rampersaud, D. Stuart,K. Howard, M. Miller, D. Weir.

Bowling: Chase 8-0-27-1, Warrican 8-1-28-1, D. Louis 6-0-14-1, Brathwaite 3-0-12-1, Vaughn 4-0-18-0, Greaves 5-0-18-0.

Result: Lodge won by six wickets.

Umpires: Jefferson Sobers, Anthony Pollard.