UNFANCIED ST THOMAS Warriors will now have a final battle in the C.O.Williams/UWI Inter-Parish Twenty20 Cricket Competition at the 3Ws Oval tonight.
Inspired by a three-wicket new ball blitz from seamer Diego Stuart (4-1-10-3) and a four-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Chad Williams (4-0-14-4), St Thomas romped into the final with a five-wicket victory over St Michael Merchants in their semi-final on Thursday night.
They will meet the winners of last night’s match between defending champions St James Settlers and UWI Blackbirds.
Sent in, St Michael rallied from 68 for seven to 114 for nine in their 20 overs, but St Thomas won comfortably, scoring 116 for five in 18.4 overs.
Useful contributions came from top-order batsmen Kevin Greene (26 retired hurt), Akeem Springer (23), Pedro Greaves (15) and Marlon Welcome-Goodman (17).
Stuart gave St Thomas a dream start, trapping Rashidi Boucher leg before wicket and bowling Jonathan Drakes for “ducks” in the double-wicket first over maiden.
He then saw Barbados and West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite dropped off his bowling at square leg by Ryan Nurse but Stuart later shattered the stumps of his Wanderers’ clubmate for 17.
Nurse atoned for his blemish by bowling St Michael’s captain Kevin Stoute, who struggled for nine off 23 balls and failed to capitalized on his good fortune when spin bowler Marlon Hoyte spilled a return catch.
Left-hander Jameel Stuart made 26 in mid-innings for St Michael but was one of three wickets for the 16-year-old Williams, who also bowled Carlos Maynard and had Jabarri Yarde smartly stumped by Springer in an eventful first over.
Williams also bowled Miquel Cummins but Jason Holder pushed the St Michael total past the 100-mark with three sixes in an unbeaten 29 off 23 balls.
Summarized scores
St. Michael Merchants 114-9 in 20 overs (J. Holder 29 n.o, J. Stuart 26, K. Brathwaite 17; C. Williams 4-14, D. Stuart 3-10, R. Nurse 2-26). St. Thomas Warriors 116-5 in 18.4 overs (K. Greene 26 retired hurt, A. Springer 23, M. Welcome-Goodman 17, P. Greaves 15). St Thomas won by five wickets. (EZS)
