By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
RTW Falcons Austin McDowall had 49 not out in helping them to beat Grenada
A defending champion, an unbeaten top seed, a fire power and the absence of Cavaliers, will highlight Sunday’s BVICA Peter Haycraft Ten10 Cup semifinals in Greenland.
Defending champions RTW Falcons will face unbeaten Royal Knights after beating Grenada and Royal Knights easily flogged fire powers Vikings to set the pairings. Cavaliers—who finished 0-4—will miss the playoffs in any BVICA format for the first time.
Grenada started with a 60-run opening partnership between Captain Andel Walcott and striker Derrol Readhead after they were sent to bat, before Walcott was caught for nine by Garry Prince. Redhead littered the small field with six fours and five sixes off 24 balls to reach season’s best 62, bringing his second placed total to 170 runs, before he was caught by the RTW Falcons Captain, Orlando “Facebook” Olliverre.
After adding another 15 runs, there was a monumental collapse as Grenada lost four wickets while adding a measly 10 runs, limping to 5 for 85. Akim Mousey Hendrickson and Alvin Africa combined for a 35-run partnership, before Hendrickson was caught for 30 ending Grenada’s tally on 120 runs in the 10th over.
RTW Falcons bowlers Kenron Baptiste bagged 2 for 21 bringing his league leading total to six, and Imran Smith grabbed 2 for 25.
The RTW Falcons got off to a 2 for 45 start before Austin McDowall battered Grenada’s bowling for seven sixes off 12 balls to finish with 49 not out, along with opener Dameron Prince’s 32 not out, in reaching 121 for 2 in 9.0 overs. McDowall brought his total to 158 runs. Rondey Marryshow 1 for 12 and Derrol Redhead took 1 for 31 for Grenada.
Walcott described Grenada’s games as being “quite unfortunate again” noting that his team had a good start in the batting and the bowling. “But we didn’t carry on and that set us back in this game,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get our bowling together (against Royal Knights), our bowling is very bad. We have been giving up plenty of runs and that has been putting us on the bad side of the game. Hopefully, we’ll bowl well, get some early wickets, and we’ll conquer the Royal Knights.”
The win energized the RTW Falcons Captain Olliverre said. “Today’s game is a good feeling because we lost last week and fell to 1-2 and now we came back with a victory and into the semifinals,” he noted. “We’re now in the semifinal and looking for a place in the final and seeking to win it again this year, but it will take a good team effort—bowling, fielding and batting out the overs—and being positive.”
Walcott started switching his bowlers and won the first game, but the strategy has backfired in the last two. “It didn’t work today,” he noted. “The bowling wasn’t one of the best. The bowlers weren’t concentrating properly and that made us give up the runs. Hopefully (on Sunday) we’ll bowl well and get some early runs on the board and if we bat first, stay in the wicket and put up a good target for them to chase.”
In a clash between unbeatens in the first game, Kieon DeJesus had a quick fire 54 including seven fours, as Royal Knights raced to 120 for 1 in 5.4 over, in reply to the Vikings’ 115 for 6 in 10.0 overs, after Vincent Farley snatched 3 for 13 and Ameri Hinds 2 for 29 respectively.
The Vikings lost Captain and opener Deco Khemraj off the first ball he faced with 12 runs on the board. Wicketkeeper Julian Banett—who had 115 in his last outing vs Cavaliers after 118 against the RTW Falcons to open the league—was contained for merely 19 and finished the league with 274 runs.
Vikings opener Rahkumar Seepersaud was bowled for 47 and Johnny Bailey contributed 25 not out.
