A four-wicket haul by off-spinner Don O’Neal inspired CGI Sandy Crest Maple to a 31-run victory over
ICBL Empire, en route to capturing the Sagicor General T20 Cricket Championship for the second time when the final was played at Kensington Oval on Sunday night.
Set 128 for victory after restricting Maple to 127 for eight off 20 overs, Empire collapsed to 96 all out off 19 overs with O’Neal leading a four-pronged spin attack that completely strangled the powerful Empire batting line-up.
“This win is dedicated to Oswald Marshall,” a jubilant Maple captain Pedro Agard declared after the match.
“We lost Oswald Marshall during the Division One season. While he was ill the team visited his home. We promised him that we would win the Division One cup for him. We came up a little short.
“After we got into the semi-finals I reminded the guys again, ‘We still owe Ossie a championship this year’. He would have preferred Division One. We wanted to do that but I am sure he would still be proud of us for what we have been able to come here to Kensington Oval and achieve,” Agard said.
“It’s a sweet victory and what made it sweeter is that we lost one game in the Division One competition to the same Empire club. So this is sweet revenge,” an ecstatic Agard said.
Man-Of-The-Match winner O’Neal took four for 23 off his allotted four overs, including the key wicket of Barbados and West Indies player Ryan Hinds.
When Hinds miscued a pull off a short delivery from O’Neal, Jamar Griffith ran off the deep midwicket boundary to complete the catch and leave Empire’s innings in shambles at 36 for five in the tenth over.
Left-arm spinner Griffith, who shared the new ball with off-spinner Shane Ramsay, started the slide by bowling Kevin Stoute with his first delivery and later trapped Alcindo Holder lbw for a first-ball duck.
He finished with the impressive figures of two wickets for eight runs off three overs.
With the spinners having put Maple in an impregnable position, Agard turned to his medium pacers.
Rayad Emrit and Kirk Brome took a wicket apiece but the final blow came through the run-out of Jomel Warrican for a top score of 22.
Earlier, Maple, opting to take first knock, started briskly with Agard taking three boundaries off the opening over by medium pacer Javon Searles.
In contrast to the early energy from Maple, Empire seemed lacklustre in the field and missed at least three clear chances, one of them offered by Emrit who smashed a six and three fours in a top score of 39.
Orman Kellman weighed in with an undefeated 23 off eight balls while Dave Mohammed was the most successful bowler for Empire, taking four for 30 with his unorthodoxleft-hand spin.