THE RACE for quarter-final places in the Sagicor Super50 Cup intensified as rain played havoc with many of the Zone A sixth series matches yesterday.
AT BAYFIELD: Brathwaite Construction/Republic Bank St Catherine became the first team in the zone to guarantee a place in the quarter-finals with an easy eighth-wicket victory over second-placed Premix and Precast Yorkshire.
The home team extended their unbeaten run to six matches.
St Catherine’s bowlers triggered a middle and lower order collapse which saw the visitors slump from 84 for two to 136 all out in 37 overs.
Kittitian Akeem Saunders top-scored with a 60-ball 43, while Yorkshire’s promising early position was built around a fourth-wicket stand of 52 between Jamar Layne (39) and Armani Best (27).
St Catherine’s two left-arm spinners, Derick Bishop (2-19) and Alston Bobb (2-29) ,triggered a mid-innings crisis which was made even worse when left-arm seamer Darnell Greenidge (3-37) was reintroduced into the attack.
The home target was revised under Duckworth/Lewis to 122 in 32 overs. An unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 108 between all-rounder Ulric Batson (67 not out – 52 balls, 7×4, 2×6) and Patrick Browne (43 not out – 56 balls, 4×4) saw the hosts home after the loss of two early wickets.
Batson had also taken two wickets in Yorkshire’s innings.
AT 3Ws OVAL: LIME pulled off a major upset when they annihilated Sagicor UWI by 242 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis Method.
The victory over powerhouses UWI was dedicated by the LIME players to their injured teammate, Cyprian Payne, who has been hospitalised with multiple gunshot wounds.
The visitors amassed 272 for seven in 44 overs which was revised to 292 under the D/L Method and further increased to 327 because the UWI students were penalised 36 runs for slow over-rate.
Inspired by sensational fielding, including magnificent catches by Ryan Nurse and Justin Brathwaite, LIME routed UWI for a meagre 85 to achieve an amazing victory.
Big left-hander opener Brathwaite marked his return home with a belligerent 76 from 73 balls with 10 fours and three sixes. He and fellow opener Jason Hinds (55) posted 129 for the first wicket.
LIME’s top-order was solid with Nekoli Parris (53) compiling an unbeaten half-century and Randy Thomas a solid 33.
Seamer Nurse (2-10) and off-spinner Daley Hurley (3-28), who shared the new ball, continued the good work done by the batsmen to reduce the hosts to 36 for five and there was no recovery by the UWI lower order.
AT QUEEN’S PARK: The match between Massy Stores Spartan and Ince Transport MTW ended in a no-decision after MTW limped to 80 for eight after 30 overs.
Before the rains came, off-spinner Omar Marshall had taken four for 18 from ten overs to do the damage for the home team. Stephen Payne (41) and Raymond Kellman (20) were the only batsmen to handle Spartan’s incisive and disciplined bowling.
AT WEYMOUTH: The game between home team Police and BRC Glassesco BCL was abandoned without a ball bowled due to a wet pitch.
