The Sagicor General Super Cup cricket title is back in the east.
BNB St Catherine withstood a classy century from Trinidadian Lendl Simmons to win their fourth knockout crown with a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Tele Barbados Carlton in the 2011 final at Kensington Oval yesterday.
Chasing Carlton’s challenging total of 230 in 49.4 overs, built around Simmons’ authoritative 120 off 130 balls with six fours and five sixes, St Catherine made 235 for nine in 49 overs, achieving their victory off the first ball of the final over by Kyle Mayers, which sped to the boundary for leg-side wides.
It triggered prolonged celebrations by the St Catherine players and supporters, who raced onto the field to embrace last man Michael Holder and injured opener Dayne Maynard.
Holder, who survived a close call for a run out in the penultimate over when four runs were needed as he scampered home without his bat, had eased St Catherine’s worries when he lifted Mayers for a six over long-off during a vital unbeaten 18 off just eight balls.
In a match where the pendulum swung back and forth, there was a final twist with the dismissal of Ulric Batson, who scored 29 valuable runs off 33 balls to a waist-high full toss from Mayers, which he patted to the bowler’s father Shirley Clarke in the off-side.
Off the very next ball, Mayers yorked Stefan Gooding and Maynard, a long-standing St Catherine stalwart, who had earlier retired on 45 with a hamstring strain, was forced to resume his innings with eight runs needed, with a runner.
Earlier, Carlton, sent in, recovered from 92 for six, through a responsible 123-run seventh-wicket partnership between Simmons and wicket-keeper Carlo Morris, who restrained his attacking style to make 47 off 70 balls with one four and two sixes.
But it was Simmons, who flew in from Trinidad and Tobago on an early morning flight and came straight to the ground for the 9:30 a.m. start after playing a T20 cricket match and football match in the twin-island republic the night before, who controlled the Carlton innings.
Dale Richards, after a cameo 22, had his centre stump uprooted with an inswinging full length delivery from 20-year-old left-arm pacer Holder, while Kirk Gibson, Mayers, Marlon Graham and Clarke, all fell cheaply to the combined spin of Kenroy Williams and Derick Bishop.
Simmons did have a few slices of luck as he was missed on 24 by a diving Gooding coming in off the long-on boundary, and could have been run out a couple times.
In St Catherine’s victory chase, Kellman fell for a typically breezy 20 but Over-40 players Ahmed Proverbs (21) and Maynard, whose eventual 46 not out (73 balls, 7×4, 1×6) was the top score, added 51 for the third wicket.
Left-arm spinner Dane Currency raised Carlton’s hopes by bowling both Proverbs and the in-form Williams.
Swing bowler Amal Nurse got rid of the out of sorts Chad Proverbs and the dangerous Bishop, whose 23 was laced with four boundaries off only 14 balls, while Mayers accounted for Patrick Browne.
But Joel Leacock, with a patient 34 off 51 balls and Batson regained the initiative for St Catherine with a 44-run seventh-wicket stand.
After Mayers’ late double strike in the first over of the batting power play when 32 runs were required off the last five overs, Batson and Holder played positively and Maynard’s pain turned to joy when victory was achieved.