Pine Hill Dairy St John Cultural overcame a nervous period to complete a four-wicket victory over Tweedside Esso Maxwell and secure the Barbados Cricket Association’s Division 2 title yesterday.
It took an hour during which time 19 overs were bowled for St John Cultural to reach the 103 required to win after they resumed on 60 for two.
Batting first on the opening day, Maxwell scored 113 for seven to which St. John Cultural replied with 151 for seven.
On the penultimate day Maxwell collapsed to 140 all out, setting the stage for St John Cultural to capture the title.
Given the ease with which the first 60 runs of the target were posted in just ten overs the previous evening, a casual romp to victory may have been anticipated on the final day.
But Maxwell made St John Cultural fight for every run and had Horace Waldron, batting low in the order because of a hamstring injury, not been put down by captain Winston “Puppy” Haynes at short mid-off at 90 for six, the new champions may have been under greater pressure.
Shortly after, Waldron struck a couple of boundaries to help his side close in on victory. He remained 14 not out along with Frank Skeete who was unbeaten on 12.
The pair had battled patiently for close to half an hour after St John Cultural’s batting threatened to implode with four wickets tumbling for 17 runs to spin twins Chester Yarde and Hugh Cummins. Yarde finished with the best figures of three for 29.
“I am very pleased with my team right now. We played well throughout the season to bring ourselves to the final and I can’t complain about that. The bowlers bowled the line they were supposed to bowl, the batsmen batted well. Everybody did well,” St John Cultural captain Andre Corbin told NATIONSPORT.
The 21-year-old expressed appreciation to the support staff at the club for the role they played off the field.
He pointed out that despite the loss of the wickets on the final day he remained confident of success.
“We were not looking to lose so many wickets but I had hope in my team that my team could do it. We have batting one to eleven and we never give up. We fight hard. That’s our team,” Corbin said.
Maxwell captain Haynes reflected on the chance he had to dislodge Waldron.
“He was really restricted in getting out to the pitch to drive and I went there specifically for that and so said so done,”?Haynes said. “It hit and it didn’t stick. I should have taken it, would have taken it nine times out of ten but it happens.”
