The best shot?on a day of pathetic batting from two of Barbados’ top teams, Sagicor UWI and ICBL Empire with 20 first-class cricketers between them, was made off the very last ball when Akeem Dewar cover drove Javon Searles for the winning boundary.
It ended a low-scoring final round Sagicor Twenty20 cricket match with Empire managing a mere 81 in 19.3 overs and UWI labouring to 85 for eight in 19 overs to win by two wickets on a bowler-friendly pitch.
The victory was unbeaten UWI’s eighth in succession and allowed them to comfortably top Zone A with a maximum 32 points.
Dewar ended on 15 not out, the joint highest individual score of the day, joining Empire’s Alcindo Holder and UWI’s two other double-digit contributors Jonathan Carter and captain Kyle Corbin.
Carter and Corbin had something else in common as they were both stumped by wicket-keeper Jamal Smith off Trinidad and Tobago and former West Indies’ left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed, who finished with three for 23.
It was unbelievable the way UWI, with ten first-class cricketers – Anthony Alleyne excluded – struggled for the runs even though there were a few decisions which went against them.
Searles and Ryan Hinds, with his miserly left-arm spin (4-2-3-1), strangled the UWI top order. The pressure was maintained throughout but Empire may have missed the trick by giving leg-spinner Nicolai Charles a solitary over towards the end.
Earlier, the Empire players, who have all played on the regional circuit, with some good old-fashioned swipes, surrendered their wickets in a mad rush to score runs.
Credit must also be given to the UWI?bowlers, especially Nekoli Parris (4-0-11-1) and the pacy pair of Raymon Reifer (3.3-0-9-2) and Keswick Williams (3-0-10-3).
