Rivaldo Clarke did it all while Wesley Hall was busy winning it all. Again.
Make it historic title No. 10 for the boys from King’s Street after their captain and Man-Of-The-Match scored 41 before taking two key wickets in yesterday’s 48-run victory over Eden Lodge in the final Guardian General Herman Griffith Primary Schools Cricket Competition.
It was a scene of pure jubilation at Empire’s Bank Hall ground as students, teachers and supporters stormed the field after Clarke and Edwin Barnett combined to take five of Eden Lodge’s last six wickets which fell for just 23 runs in an eventual total of 84.
“To get ten wins at the primary school level is wonderful,” said victorious coach Richard Clarke.
“This is an overwhelming feeling.”
But the moment was clearly too big for the first-time finalists, who gave up some 54 extras – 46 of which were wides – as the top-score in Wesley Hall’s competitive total of 132 for six.
Eden Lodge did show a measure of fight though, with openers Donte Ludat and Shakquir Parris getting them off to a decent start by posting 24 off the first five overs.
And even when Parris was clean bowled by Deondre Scott before Theiry Walcott accounted for Ajani Watkins, Sadio Osbourne and captain Depedro Jordan, the match still stood in the balance at 42 for four as Ludat appeared threatening.
However, Clarke removed Ludat for 23 with his very first ball with a smart return catch, and also bowled Hakeem Richards to start a slide which Barnett capped off with the wickets of Tyrell Clarke, Alex Darlington and last man Kobe Harding.
“I thought once we got up to 100 runs any run after that would be a bonus and it would be difficult for Eden Lodge with the bowling attack that we have,” said Richard Clarke.
Earlier, Rivaldo Clarke’s cautious 41 off 37 runs proved the backbone of his side’s competitive tally, which featured only two boundaries – both of which were struck by Clarke.
“We didn’t know what Eden Lodge had to offer, so we had to be very cautious in our approach to batting,” explained the coach.
They too got off to a respectable start, with openers Jansah Jauni and Ajay Ganesh putting on 23 before Clarke came in at three to steady the ship. But just as Wesley Hall appeared to be kicking on they suffered a pair of run outs to stumble to 87 for four.
Joshua Morris paired with Clarke though in a crucial 34-run fifth-wicket partnership, and Clarke appeared to be picking up steam once again after hitting Ty Farrell over square leg.
But Farrell got his man just one ball later, taking a sharp return catch just centimetres off the pitch before Ludat trapped Morris in front to stall Wesley Hall’s late charge.
Clarke finished the competition with a tournament-high 457 runs to also be adjudged the Most Valuable Player.
