Wanderers, Spartan final

Counterpoint Wanderers beat YMPC in a thrilling Super Over on Friday night to reach tonight’s final of the Sagicor Twenty20 Championship at Kensington Oval.
The match ended level on scores – Wanderers 129-8, YMPC 129-5 – with a hat-trick of run outs off the last three balls bowled by left-arm spinner Chad Clarke-Reifer.
In the Super Over bowled by left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer, the brother of Clarke-Reifer, YMPC got just six runs.
Reifer then smashed a massive six over mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Nkosi Ross to seal the deal as Wanderers players and fans started celebrations all over the historic ground.
Unbeaten Wanderers will now meet Super Centre Spartan, whose team includes the inform Shamarh Brooks, in the grand final which starts at 7:30 p.m.
The last over began with the Beckles Road men on 125 for two, only needing five runs to reach their first final.
The first ball bowled by Clarke-Reifer from the Joel Garner End at the north was an above-the-waist full toss to YMPC’s captain Shane Dowrich, who swung it into the leg side and ran two.
With the umpire signalling no-ball, it meant three runs were credited to YMPC, who only needed two more for victory from six balls.
The next two deliveries to Dowrich were dot balls as tension mounted in the stands and on the field of play as bowler Clarke-Reifer kept his cool.
With the third ball, Dowrich pushed a quick single to bring the scores level. In unbelievable scenes, three batsmen – Matthew King, Dowrich and Amal Nurse were all run out at the non-striker’s end off consecutive balls to carry the game to the Super Over Eliminator.
There was no indication that YMPC were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when Steve Blackett (27) and Ryan Wiggins (57) posted 75 runs for the first wicket after 12.1 overs.
Wiggins scored his second consecutive half-century, striking two sixes and four fours adding 32 for the second wicket with Dowrich (30).
After Wiggins went, King’s stand with Dowrich realised 22 runs with 19 coming in the only over which medium-pacer Shayne Moseley surprisingly bowled, before the excitement of the last over began.
Earlier, Wanderers were saved by Reifer and Jason Holder after being 38 for five in the 11th over after being sent in.
Reifer, who has come across from Sagicor UWI this season, top-scored with a 41-ball 47 and Holder, just back from the Indian Premier League belted 45 from 29 balls.
In a sixth wicket stand of 76 from seven overs, Holder blasted four sixes and two fours while Reifer’s sixes count was two along with two boundaries.
Reifer had an excellent match. He came at three to score 47. With the ball he bowled four overs for 13 runs and took the wicket of Blackett to end that troublesome first wicket partnership.
He took the catch to dismiss Wiggins under pressure on the boundary and delivered a brilliant 18th over to keep Wanderers in the hunt. He was also the fielder who ran out King to trigger the hat-trick of run outs.
In the Super Over, he only conceded six runs from 0.5 overs and he put his final signature on the game when he swung Ross’ left-arm spin for a huge six as the Wanderers players engulfed the field in wild celebrations.
Ross took two wickets for 20 runs to be the leading wicket-taker for YMPC.