Bathsheba won their first BCL knockout final in 20 years when they defeated the highly-touted Lucky Horse Shoe Welches by five wickets in the BCL Pepsi Heineken Knockout Final at the Foursquare Oval.
It was way back in 1991 when Bathsheba defeated Crusaders that they registered their last victory in a BCL final despite reaching such on numerous occasions.
Long-standing captain Anthony Small, who was also captain in 1991, was both estatic and relieved that the team from St Joseph had finally broken the jinx.
Watched by a very large crowd that included their MP Dale Marshall, Bathsheba won the toss and invited Welches to bat. Bathsheba’s top bowler, Andy Blackman, wasted no time in showing his class as he had Welches reeling at 39 for five by the end of his seven-over spell.
Blackman, who was struck for seven runs in his first over, bowled the other six overs for just four runs, snaring four scalps in a performance that earned him the Man Of The Match award.
Bathsheba kept the screws on the Welches batsmen and it was not until the 21st over that the first boundary – a fine edge at that – was recorded.
Kelvin Patterson kept up the pressure as he reduced Welches from 39 for five to 51 for nine in the 20th over.
A stand of 13 – the second highest of the innings – for the last wicket carried the score to 64 off only 23.4 overs.
Bathsheba started cautiously but lost their first wicket at nine before Jamel Warrican joined Jason Nicholls to add 36 for the second wicket.
By the time Murray and Warrican departed with the score at 45 and 59 respectively, it was all over except that Kevin Patteson had to show his prowess by finishing the match with a huge six to end not out on 15.
Captain Anthony Small was full of praise for his bowlers and the total team effort.
