BNB ST CATHERINE ushered in the first Sagicor General Twenty20 competition with superb clean hitting that set up a big victory over ICBL Empire at Bank Hall yesterday.

St Catherine, fielding a crop of inexperienced players, blasted the day's highest total of 204 and comfortably won by 70 runs before several of their supporters who made the trek from St Philip.

After St Catherine's openers Renaldo Brathwaite (40 off 20 balls) and Renaldo Kellman (45 off 30 balls) added 63 in 5.1 overs with a flurry of bold strokes to shock Empire, captain Kenroy Williams (47 off 34 balls) and others kept the board ticking until the end when four wickets, all via the run out route, fell in the last over.

Empire briefly challenged, posting 37 from the first 3.4 overs, but tight bowling from kept fast-medium Joel Leacock, whose four overs cost 13, and left-arm spinner Glyne Strickland, who grabbed three wickets and conceded 15 from his four overs, made the match a no-contest and Empire were restricted to 134.

AT WEYMOUTH A: Police defeated Super Centre Spartan by three runs in a close finish.

The match reached its climax in the final over as Spartan, requiring 20 runs with five wickets in hand, scrambled 17 off Callitos Lopez.

Competitive

Police gained an early advantage by compiling a competitive 191 for four from their 20 overs.

Larry Babb yet again proved a thorn in Spartan's side, following his match-winning century the previous day by stroking 65 in a partnership of 94 with Antonio Mayers who finished on 44 not out.

Barbados batsman Shamarh Brooks almost took his side to victory with a stroke-filled 69 from 46 balls.

AT OLD COLERIDGE: A solid 70 from ESA Field Pickwick captain Rondell Yearwood could not prevent Oran/Carib Bristol from romping to a major upset.

Bristol were simply overjoyed at scoring one of their first significant victories since entering the top flight of domestic cricket.

After being sent in to bat on a good pitch, Bristol reached 163 for nine off their allotted 20 overs, with Dadrian Forde scoring 39 and Kerry Thompson 28.

In reply, Pickwick folded for 149 despite their captain's heroics.

AT BECKLES ROAD: Coach/player Ryan Wiggins set the example for his charges in piloting Caribbean Lumber YMPC to a narrow win by ten runs over BRC BCL yesterday.

Wiggins showcased his all-round skills. He cracked a quickfire topscore of 30 in YMPC's modest total of 125 and then returned to capture four wickets as BCL capitulated to 115 all out.

(Reporting by Haydn Gill, Harold Eastmond, Louis Holder and Wayne Holder.)