Lodge Road and Transporters North recorded contrasting, one-sided victories to be crowned champions of the 2017 Barbados Cricket League Twenty20 competitions yesterday at the Barbados National Oil Company ground in Woodbourne, St Philip.
While Transporters made light of a paltry total set by Melbourne in the first match of the double-header to capture the Everton Weekes Cup final by six wickets, a pulverising, unbeaten century by Martin Nurse led Lodge Road to a virtual slaughter of Greens by 62 runs in the Garfield Sobers Cup final that followed.
Batting first, Melbourne staggered to 91 for eight off the full complement of overs only for the “Northeners” to stroll to the target, reaching 96 for four in 13.1 overs.
Veteran, former national team opener Dale Richards set the tone for the simple chase with a breezy 25 which was backed up by Man-of-the-Match Reynaldo Farley, whose 42 followed two wickets for 15 runs in the Melbourne innings.
Hard-hitting opening bat Nurse, a former Barbados representative teamed up with former Police Elite Division captain Brian Corbin to virtually put the contest beyond the reach of the beleaguered St George side in posting 207 for the first wicket from a total of 224 for two.
In reply, Greens surrendered for 162 in 19.4 overs.
Strappingly-built left-hander Nurse carried his bat to be not out 129, plundering 20 fours and four sixes, to easily take the Player-of-the-match award. He struck 16 boundaries and three sixes to bring up his century. Corbin kept up the pace, hammering seven fours and four “maximums” before he fell in the penultimate over for 71.
Only medium-pacer Chattergoon Persaud (2-34) was spared the full wrath of the experienced opening pair.
Greens enjoyed their best period of the match during an entertaining opening stand of 42 from topscorer Corey Persaud and Renaldo Bourne. Once they were parted in the fourth over the “winning pole” remained more and more distant until Lodge Road completed the formality.
Persaud proceeded to 51 with six boundaries in a losing cause while Rico Archer (3-44) along with Henry Austin (2-17), Terry Blackman (2-22) and Dwight Carter (2-33) shared the wickets for the Christ Church-based champions. (WH)