Defending champions Belfongo lead into Masters cricket quarterfinal stage

With the preliminary round of the National Masters Cricket Competition completed, the space at the top tightens as in the upcoming quarterfinal stages it is do or die for the teams.

Emerging from Group one are defending champion Belfongo who ended the round with 27 points, with Kingstown second with 18. North Windward and Stubbs also advance from that group that saw eight teams competing. Stubbs edged out Arnos Vale on a better net run rate as both teams ended on 14 points.{{more}}

Advancing from Group two are Ajuba, Mr. Cool, Sion Hill and Police. Ajuba headed the pack with 20 points, with Sion Hill and Mr. Cool both on 16, and Police 10.

The quarter finals for this weekend show Belfongo meeting Police, Sion Hill play Kingstown, Ajuba play Stubbs and Mr. Cool come up against North Windward.

Last weekend proved decisive for some teams as the inclement weather had the final say in most of the matches.

Affected were the match ups between Sion Hill and South Leeward, Police and Mr. Cool, Central Leeward and Ajuba, Arnos Vale versus Belfongo, Kingstown versus Dasent Cottage and Richards Masters against P’tani.

In matches that saw play, Kingstown fortified their position against Arnos Vale. Responding to Arnos Vale’s 113 for 5 in their 20 overs, Kingstown reached 114 for 4, with Joseph Medford making 41 and Brian Alexander 24. Arnos Vale innings was centered on Alston Lewis’ 32, Ted Roberts’ 28 and Linton Greaves 16, as Bradley Brooker carried up his tally of wickets with 2 for 18.

In a match of the lower placed teams in Group two, Barrouallie ended their 2007 campaign on a winning note beating Central Leeward by 22 runs. Cecil Gordon 44, Lance John 41 and a contribution of 33 from extras helped Barrouallie to 159 all out. Samuel Byam 4 for 15, Henie Charles 3 for 28 and Brent Barker 2 for 21, were Central Leeward’s main wicket takers, but they fell short at their turn at the crease reaching 137. Ancel Hooper 30 and Irvin Robertson 24 were Central Leeward’s main contributors with the bat. Bowling for Barrouallie Asbert Young 2 for 28 and Rozendale Francis 2 for 22 carved out their team’s restrictive efforts.