By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI All Stars celebrating their President’s Day T20 Tournament victory over St. Thomas All Stars
St. Thomas Cricket Association president Doyle Jones’ ultimate goal in the inaugural President’s Day T20 Tournament at the George E. Goodwin Cricket Ground in Nazareth on Sunday afternoon, was thwarted by the BVI All Stars.
While promoting the tournament, during last Thursday night’s Sports Beat Magazine radio program on CBN 90.9 FM, Jones said because of all the work he had put into the ground, he wanted to score the first half century. He did that with 57 not out against the St. Croix Piton Vipers during the St. Thomas All Stars’ nine wicket opening victory.
However, Man of the Match Julian St. Clair, who won most wickets with five, ripped through the St. Thomas All Stars lineup, taking 4 for 10 and the BVI All Stars denied Jones from obtaining his ultimate goal of winning the title, with a 57-run victory, after posting 170. St. Thomas All Stars were all out for 113, after Jones and his brother Samuel Jones started with a 32 run opening partnership. Dhanpaul Chrisnanand and Imran Smith, bagged 2 for 22 and 2 for 18 respectively.
BVI All Stars’ Joel Williams—who had 57 during their 122-run opening victory over the St. Croix Vipers on Saturday when they posted 208—was the top scorer with 36, to win most runs scored with 93 in the tournament. Ameri Hinds, who had 55 on Saturday during a 104-run opening partnership with Williams, and Yohann Lezama contributed 25 respectively, with tail ender Shelan Isidore having a supporting 30 not out. Hinds, 18, who also made a brilliant catch, was the tournament’s MVP.
St. Thomas All Stars’ Collin Joseph, who plays in the BVI Cricket Association’s T20 league, went leg before wicket for 31 as their high scorer.
“This is the first time they’re having this tournament and for the BVI to lift the inaugural trophy, I think it means everything for us—as an executive, as a small island that is earnestly trying to find ways to get cricket some exposure,” Wicketkeeper and BVI Cricket Association president Richard Francis said after his team collected the $1500 winner’s prize. “It means everything because given the time span—in terms of preparation and training—and then to pull it off in the way we did in a dominating victory, I think it’s a true testament of all we’ve been working for.”
Jones was only able to get 12 runs off 19 balls against the BVI All Stars when he was bowled by Imran Smith and caught by Francis.
“In the batting today, we just didn’t perform to the best of our abilities,” Jones said. “We were not as patient as we could have been. We let certain things like losing wickets continue and not building partnerships, and I think that’s where we failed in the batting today.”
Jones said that it was a good game and congratulated the BVI All Stars for a “well played game.” “They are definitely in this round, were the better team. They were more prepared than we were,” he noted. “We’re just starting back and we need to practice more, go out and play a bit harder together, but all in all, it was a good weekend of games and again, kudos to the BVI team for coming out and winning the tournament.”
