Poor showing by hosts in CUT Cricket Competition

Hosts St. Vincent and the Grenadines gave a poor showing at the Biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) Cricket Competition held here last week, finishing fourth in the five-team race.{{more}}

St. Vincent and the Grenadines lone win was against fifth place St. Lucia.

Jamaica, first time participants, were the last to arrive, but in the end, they were the one with the champion trophy in their grasp.

The Jamaicans earned the title with wins over St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines; they had a tie with Barbados, as their meeting against Barbados was rained out.

Jamaica recorded a comfortable five-wicket win over St. Vincent and Grenadines in their final match last week Thursday, which towed them over the line with a better run rate, as the other contenders Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados played to a tie.

The home side limped to 113 for 7, in their 30 overs. The lead batsman was Ayodele Pompey, 24. Veteran player Bradley Brooker made 22 and Raydon Bentick, 21. Bowling for the Jamaicans Xavier Scott had 2 for 5 and Morgan, 2 for 26.Jansford Gabriel struck 34, Carl Brizette, 32, and Lamar Moncreffe chipped in with 24, to put an early finish to the proceedings.

While that was taking place, Trinidad and Tobago, the team that posed the biggest threat, was battling Barbados.

In the end, there was no winner, as the scores ended Barbados 181 for 6, Trinidad and Tobago 181 for 6, match tied.

When the Barbadians batted, Renaldo Parris hit 40, Neval Grazettes scored 35, and Rohan Nurse, 32. Dary Balglobin captured 3 for 28, and Rohan David, 2 for 8.

In the Trinidad and Tobago run chase, the principal scorers were Balglobin 66, David, 29 and Kesharva Ramphal hit 27.

The eventual top wicket taker, Denis Osbourne, took 3 for 29, to take his total to seven. Andre Braithwaite had figures of 2 for 26. That meant that Barbados failed to make it three in a row, and finished third. The Trinidadians docked in second.

Jamaica’s Craig Olliver, one of two century makers, had an aggregate of 150 runs. Olliver lashed 120 against St, Lucia. He was the competition’s highest run scorer. His countryman Dwayne Morgan, also knocked in a century (101) against St. Lucia, whose solitary point came from a rain affected fixture versus Barbados.

The top award of Most Valuable Player was won by Samuel Badree of Trinidad and Tobago. Badree, who last played for his country in February this year, in the WICB regional four day competition, took five wickets, and scored 129 runs.

At the Closing Ceremony held at the President’s Suite, at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, addresses were heard from Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Mobilisation Rosita Snagg, Director of Sports and Physical Education Nelson Hillocks, Acting President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union Sheldon Govia and former President Joy Matthews.

A relieved Matthews said she was happy that the competition came to fruition, when at times it looked as though it would never happen and thanked those who chocked her up when she needed that support.

The next competition in two years time will be staged either in St. Lucia or Jamaica.(RT)