It was good?times and more celebration for Combermere in cricket again.
And they were a yard ahead of Earthworks Melrose in the final at Kensington Oval yesterday enroute to capturing their third Sagicor General Shield title.
Lifted by a marvellous knock of 85 not out from Man Of The Match Devon Goodman and an attacking unbeaten 66 by staff member Jedson Yarde, Combermere amassed 204 for five in 34 overs.
The pair featured in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 154 in 20.5 overs as they manhandled the Melrose bowling.
Goodman, a 17-year-old right-hander, smashed seven sixes and six fours in an aggressive knock off 80 balls, while Yarde, a former?Barbados Under-19 cricketer, weighed in by clouting four sixes and four fours off 55 balls.
Both struck two sixes in an expensive last over from left-arm spinner Omari Taitt which yielded 26 runs.
That over made the difference to the final outcome and completely ruined the good early work of left-arm swing bowler Rene Mayers, who took three wickets with the new ball to have Combermere reeling on 50 for five after they were sent in.   Â
In response, Melrose made a gallant late attempt to reach the challenging victory target, powered by a well crafted knock of 75 by Barry Lowe, but fell ten runs short at 194 for eight.
The Melrose camp and their supporters weren’t happy at the manner in which captain Victor Patrick was dismissed for 15 to a low catch by Chad Williams on the edge of the long-off boundary.
Many of the spectators in the 3Ws Stand, seated directly behind Williams, jumped out of their seats and raised their arms, signalling six as they felt the fielder had touched the boundary ropes with the ball in his hands after completing the catch.
However, umpire Japhath Kirton, after consulting with an off-the-field official via the walkie-talkie, gave Patrick out.
At that stage, Patrick and Lowe were leading a spirited Melrose recovery from 80 for six in a stand of 56 off 9.5 overs with a further 69 runs required in the last eight overs.
Lowe, who hit four fours and three sixes in his 70-ball knock, and Eustace Morris, with 30 not out – including two sixes and a four off 21 balls – then added a further 52 runs off 6.4 overs.
But when a limping Lowe, who required on-the-field attention for a hamstring problem, was caught at long on, the task proved beyond Morris and new batsman Mayers, who hit a six off the fourth ball of the final over from Goodman when 22 runs were needed.
Earlier, Combermere seemed down and out after Mayers dispatched opposing captain Shayne Moseley through a smart first slip catch by Kevin Greene and trapped Shane Proverbs and Brandon King leg before wicket, with deliveries which cut back.
Combermere compounded their early woes as opener Nathan Mayers and Barbados Under-19 batsman Jonathan Drakes were both run out by Denis Small.
But Goodman, who didn’t respond to Drakes’ call for a single to backward square, never let that midunderstanding affect him.
Lucky to survive a confident LBW appeal when he was struck full by Lowe, Goodman then lifted the fast medium bowler over his head for six and a straight four.
Never afraid to go after the Melrose bowling, he never looked back.
