The Business School fell to an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of St. Catherine Juniors SG19 on Monday in their opening match of the Sir Garfield Sobers Schools Tournament at Guy Crab Hill.
The Group B fixture saw the match being reduced to 32 overs and the Business School batting first reached 94-7 while St. Catherine reached 96-2 in 12 overs in reply.
Batting, Business School lost opener Wayne McPherson for just one after he was caught by Latrell Greenidge off of Jonathan Griffith in the third over.
A small resistance was put up by Jamal Montel (09) who supported Andsuegga Rodriguez. Rodriguez top scored with a 36-ball 31, stroking five boundaries along the way before he was trapped leg-before-wicket by Ramar Newton.
Javere Callender exposed the middle order that was unable to negotiate him, returning 4-20 in eight overs.
Callender trapped Montel leg-before-wicket and removed both Ushardeva Balgobin and skipper Sunil Ramlall in successive deliveries, both batsmen playing into the hands of Naje Bishop. Ezekiel Wilson became Callender’s fourth wicket as he too failed to score before his stumps was displaced.
Tatesh Shivrattan and Ariel Tilku provided a resurgence in the lower order with the former scoring 15 in his 47-ball fightback but was stumped off of Shamar Belle. Tilku carried on with an unbeaten 23 from 46 balls.
In reply, left-arm seamer, Christopher Harry got Business School off to a dream start by trapping Jayden Critchlow leg-before-wicket for just three while Shivrattan pulled off a superb return catch to dismiss Greenidge.
However, Newton and Bishop chipped away at the sub-par total to steer their side over the line with 27 and 47 not out respectively.
Newton smashed three fours and a six but it was Bishop who tore into the bowlers, hitting four fours and three sixes in his 37-ball innings. (RS)
Business School will now face Dominica Combined Schools in round two.
