Buxton’s ‘Carl Hooper’ Sports Club and Better Hope Cricket Club stormed to the final of the Elizabeth Styles/East Coast Cricket Board 40-overs-a-side tournament.
The preliminary rounds consisted of nine matches for each participating team and culminated with Better Hope B beating Lusignan Sports Club by nine wickets and Buxton defeating Clonbrook Cricket Club by 18 runs in the semi-finals. At the Better Hope Community Centre Ground, Lusignan, asked to bat first, reached 118 all out in 30.3 overs.
Better Hope B in reply took 28.1 overs to reach 119-1.
Lusignan’s batting was centered around Emran Khan and Vishnu Ramjeet who scored 28 and 15 respectively. They were given little support as the other batsmen found it difficult to face the bowling. Better Hope B’s bowling attack was anchored by off spinner, Jayaden Manna who claimed 4-21 while left-arm spinner Ravi Singh and left-arm seamer Bharrat Samaroo supported with 3-8 and 2-13 respectively.
In reply Better Hope B found it easy to score runs with Singh returning to pound an unbeaten 58 while Rajendra Singh contributed 47 not out.
Meanwhile, at the Friendship/Buxton Community Centre Ground, Buxton climbed to 184 all out in 28 overs of the contest that was reduced to 35 overs and restricted Clonbroook to 166 all out in 32.5 overs. Buxton got on their way with a 55-run partnership for the first wicket between Mervin Cato (28) and Devon Benjamin (27) that laid the foundation for Anthony McFarlane to come and play his natural game and produce 41.
Buxton lost wickets at regular intervals, losing Andre McFarlane (21), Clive Andries (17) and Kwesi Douglas (16) but failed to capitalize on an ideal cricket pitch that offered some assistance to the bowlers. Left-arm pacer Travis Gilbert (3-36), spinners Dion Ferrier (3-38) and R. Small (3-50) were the principal wicket takers.
In reply, Clonbrook hit the ground running with R. Phil (44) and M. Rajmangal (34) putting on 63 runs from the first seven overs. However, only Ferrier, who scored 38, kept the scoreboard ticking until falling to a one handed catch from Cato. Ryan McKay picked up 3-13 while Devon Benjamin and Clive Andries supported with 2-29 and 1-18 respectively.
The first prize purse is set at $375, 000 while the runners up will pocket $75,000 with trophies for both along with the man of the final.
