Three close finishes and three crushing victories for Elite Division teams over Division 1 opposition highlighted the opening round of matches in the new-look Sagicor General Super Cup cricket competition yesterday.
There were narrow wins for E.S.A. Field Pickwick over LIME, ICBL Empire over Guardian General Barbados Youth and Yorkshire over YMPC.
But there were also crushing victories for Sagicor UWI against Counterpoint Wanderers, TeleBarbados Carlton over Ince Transport MTW and CGI Maple against Nature Valley Lodge.
The competition, which features the ten Elite Division teams and a further eight Division 1 sides, also started with a comfortable victory for last year’s champions BNB St Catherine over Seven Seas Police.
The most impressive individual performance was a seven-wicket haul by Banks off-spinner Marlon Hoyte against BRC BCL.
AT WILDEY: E. S. A. Field Pickwick clinched a thrilling three-wicket victory, with three balls to spare, over LIME in a gripping match in which fortunes shifted back and forth.
Needing six runs from the final over, Tino Best advanced down the track to the third ball and lifted off-spinner Amory Holder over long-off for a six to clinch victory.
Pickwick, set 214 to win, lost their way after an opening stand of 109 between captain Rondell Yearwood (51) and Jamal Phillips (53), declining against three-wicket bursts by pacer Ryan Nurse and occasional medium-pacer Brian Johnson.
LIME’s innings also had a similar pattern, the hosts slipping from a position of 180 for two that was built on half-centuries from captain Randy Thomas (59) and Ashley Nurse. Another part-time bowler, Yearwood (4-27), caused the late-innings slide.
– HAYDN GILL
AT CANE GARDEN: A spirited 74 from 72 balls by Guardian General Barbados Youth batsman Jameel Stuart was just not enough as ICBL Empire edged home by four runs in an exciting finish.
The schoolboys, who also benefited from Jonathan Drakes’ 42, were cruising to an unexpected victory after they were set 280 but the departure of Stuart with the score 270 for nine set up a tense end.
With five runs needed, last man Chaim Holder played a delivery to Andre Evelyn at short midwicket and darted off for a non-existent run.
He ended up with the non-striker at the same end and was run out. Earlier, Empire amassed 279 for six on the back of Kevin Stoute’s unbeaten 88, which included eight fours and two sixes while captain Jamal Smith made 60 with five fours and one six. Roston Chase also got 41, while Holder took three for 41.
– ANCILLE INNISS
AT BECKLES ROAD: Yorkshire kept their nerves to win a close battle by one wicket over home team YMPC.
After being set a target of 131, Yorkshire won with their last pair at the wicket in the 42nd over. Earlier, the home side was bundled out in spite of a 45-run opening stand between Steve Blackett (18) and Jeremy Brathwaite (24) in nine overs. Ryan Wiggins (36) and captain Matthew King (17) were the only double-digit contributors as leg-spinners Timothy Legall and Matthew Clarke snared six wickets.
It took a sixth-wicket stand between Matthew Clarke (25) and Rudolph Hinds (34) to rescue the visitors after they had stumbled to 55 for five.
Veteran Wendell Coppin threatened to upset Yorkshire with three late-order wickets but the visitors held on.
– HAROLD EASTMOND
AT TRENTS: CGI Maple secured a comfortable five-wicket win over newcomers Nature Valley Lodge School with 23.1 overs to spare.
Chasing a moderate 124 to win, they reached the target, scoring 124 for five from 26.5 overs in reply to Lodge’s 123 all out.
Pedro Agard struck 36, including six threes and two fours, while Renaldo Parris hit 22, with six threes. Both fell to off-spinner Jamar Hollingsworth, who captured four for 50.
Sent in to bat, Lodge lost wickets consistently and no batsmen passed 20. Off-spinner Don O’neal took three for six from his ten overs that included seven consecutive maidens. He was supported by Ramon Greaves and Dario Cummins with two each for 20 and 32 respectively.
– ELVIS HOWARD
AT BLACK ROCK: TeleBarbados Carlton gave Ince Transport MTW a chastening welcome to the Cup competition, hammering the new Division 1 side by six wickets in a one-sided affair.
Guest player Trinidadian Lendl Simmons and new Carlton recruit Martin Nurse featured in an electrifying century opening stand that made the visitors’ 147 all out in 37.2 overs look small as the hosts waltzed past the winning target in 19.2 overs.
Nurse blasted seven fours and five sixes in a 29-ball 69 while Simmons supported with 33 at a run-a-ball before leg-spinner Junior Holder gave MTW faint hope by dismissing the explosive pair on the way to figures of four for 25 in the losing cause.
– WAYNE HOLDER
AT THE BREWERY: Banks off-spinner Marlon Hoyte mesmerized BRC BCL batsmen to grab seven for 21 and pave the way for a crushing victory by 137 runs.
Hoyte confused the batsmen with his variations and bounce and only captain Christopher Yearwood, with 59, showed any confidence among the BCL batsmen.
At one stage, BCL were 88 for two but Hoyte’s introduction saw them losing the last eight wickets for a meagre 28 runs.
Earlier, Sherwin Campbell (66) and Shad Simmons  (31) added 80 for the sixth wicket off 85 deliveries to lay the foundation for a competitive Banks’ score. Pedro Greaves (38) and David Carter (31) also chipped in.
– EVANS HINKSON
AT 3Ws OVAL: Sagicor UWI, benefiting from the luck of the toss, bundled out feeble Counterpoint Wanderers for a paltry 56 on a bowler-friendly pitch and romped to an easy eight-wicket victory 15 minutes before the scheduled lunch interval.
Wanderers never recovered after young pacer Marques Clarke removed Sean Armstrong and Kraigg Brathwaite. Spinners Ryan Austin and Akeem Dewar took three wickets each, paving the way for openers Kyle Corbin and Carlos Brathwaite with a stand of 41 to seal the visitors’ fate as early as 1:15 p.m.
– EZRA STUART
AT WEYMOUTH: Half-centuries from Shamar Cooke and Chad Proverbs guided BNB St Catherine to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Seven Seas Police.
Set 240 to win after Police made 239 off 49.2 overs, St Catherine cruised to 242 for four off 46 overs.
Proverbs topscored with an authoritative 82 off 78 balls while Cooke, who stayed until victory was achieved, was unbeaten on 74 off 97 deliveries. Cook struck four boundaries while Proverbs smashed two sixes and seven fours.
Police made a slow but solid start after being invited to bat with openers Roger Yearwood (47) and Robert Greaves (13) putting on 31 before being separated in the tenth over.
The innings revolved around Dwayne Yearwood’s 60, made off 73 balls with a six and five fours.
Michael Holder was the most successful bowler, with three for 59.
– PHILIP HACKETT
