By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
Curtley Peters and Deco Khemraj
A series of standout individual performances with the bat and the ball, highlighted Grenada and defending champions Cavaliers victories on Sunday in Greenland, in the BVI Cricket Association T20 League.
Grenada overpowered Vincy for an eight wickets victory in the first game, improving to 3-3. Man of the Match Curtley Peters led the 2-3 Vincy to 230 for 5 in 20 overs, with an entertaining 86 not out, that included eight fours and five sixes. Earl Prescott contributed 42 not out and Feris Pope had a supporting 36. Orlando Peters was Grenada’s top bowler, snatching 3 for 25. Rudaph Davis took 2 for 59.
Captain Andel Walcott followed up last week’s season high 125 with nine fours and seven sixes for 85 off 31 balls, to take over the scoring lead with 309 runs from teammate Derol Redhead, who now has 260 after contributing 24, as Grenada posted 231 for 2 in 14 overs. Ragel Noel—who had an early season knock of 90, was caught for 78, bringing his season haul to 254, as Grenada’s batsmen occupy the top three positions on the scoring table. Walcott and Noel shared a domineering 174 run opening partnership, the highest of the season, to lay the foundation for their victory.
Walcott said his bowling is “still bad” but if he wins the toss in the next game, he decided that they’re going to chase again like they did against Vincy. “Even though we make 230, 240, I still don’t have the confidence that we can defend 230 or 240,” he said. “But I have confidence in my batting, that I can chase and win.”
In the second games, while the 2-3 Vikings lost to 4-1 Cavaliers by 15 runs in a tense thriller, bowlers Johnny Bailey and Deco Khamraj, made them work for their victory in posting 208 all out, after a 91-run opening partnership between Asvishkar Sewkarran (37) and Gavin Hitnarine (40) in 4.6 overs.
Hitnarine sprayed the grounds with seven fours and five sixes off 25 balls for 66, to become the fifth league player with 200 or more runs this season, before he went leg before wicket, as Bailey’s first scalp, snatching 4 for 26. Man of the Match Khemraj, who bagged 4 for 38, took out Sewkarran for 37. Bailey’s nine wickets for the season, is in a five-way tie, two behind the RTW Falcons Joel Williams’ leading 11.
In their 193 for 9 reply the Vikings were led by Vaden Walker, who was run out for 45 and Dave Pyroo, who was caught for a supporting 40. Swekarran, who leads the league with two maidens, brought his wickets haul to nine on the season with 2 for 23. Jagnarine “Suga” Persaud, grabbed 3 for 31, to pull into a six-way tie with six wickets.
Gopaul Boodram said they didn’t expect Vikings’ fight. “We were looking to get close to 300, but then Johnny Bailey came in and took some crucial wickets. We made over 100 in the power play, but then Vikings kept taking wickets,” he said. “It was a really close game in the end. It was like a see-saw game.”
