Empire could miss BCA T20 Cup quarter-finals

With only two rounds of matches remaining in the preliminaries of the BCA Elite/Division 1 Twenty20 Cup Championship, last year’s runners-up Empire are in grave danger of not reaching the quarter-finals.

And amidst uncertain weather, the five-time finalists though champions only once in 2010, face a stern test in Series 8 tomorrow on home turf at Bank Hall against defending champions Carlton, who, along with Wildey and BWU Gladiola have already qualified from Zone ‘A’.

Wildey are on 26 points, followed by Carlton and Gladiola on 24 each, Barbados Youth ‘A 18, Empire 14, BDFSP 14, IGS Insurance Brokers Yorkshire 10, ESA Field Pickwick 6, Barbados Youth ‘B’ 2 and Foundation 2.

Mathematically, therefore, Barbados Youth ‘A’, Empire, BDFSP and Yorkshire are the teams fighting for the last qualifying place in the Zone.

The remaining matches for Barbados Youth ‘A’ are against Yorkshire and Gladiola, both at Kensington Oval.

Empire will climax against Pickwick at Bank Hall, while BDFSP oppose Barbados Youth ‘B’ at Paragon and Yorkshire at Friendship.

The Points in Zone ‘B’ show: Wanderers 24, Sagicor Life UWI ‘A’ 20, Bayview Hospital YMPC 20, Spartan 18, IDL Walkers Sand Quarry Isolation Cavaliers 18, Police 10, Lords 10, Sagicor Life UWI ‘B’ 8, Crane Resort St. Catherine 8 and Maple 4.

As it stands, Wanderers, UWI ‘A’ and YMPC are in line for the knockout stage with much intrigue surrounding the fate of Spartan and newcomers Isolation Cavaliers.

The remaining preliminary fixtures are:

Series 8 – October 3

Zone A – Empire v Carlton at Bank Hall; Gladiola v Wildey at Rices; Pickwick v Foundation at Foursquare Oval; Barbados Youth ‘A’ v Yorkshire at Kensington Oval; BDFSP v Barbados Youth ‘B’ at Paragon.

Zone B – Lords v YMPC at Lowlands; St. Catherine v Spartan at Bayfield; Wanderers v UWI ‘A’ at Dayrells Road; Maple v Police at Trents; UWI ‘B’ v Isolation Cavaliers at 3Ws Oval.

Series 9 – October 10

Zone A – Carlton v Wildey at Desmond Haynes Oval; Empire v Pickwick at Bank Hall; Barbados Youth ‘A’ v Gladiola at Kensington Oval; Yorkshire v BDFSP at Friendship; Barbados Youth ‘B’ v Foundation at Harrison College ‘A’, Crumpton Street.

Zone B – Isolation Cavaliers v Spartan at KMV Oval; Lords v Wanderers at Lowlands; YMPC v Police at Beckles Road; UWI ‘A’ v Maple at 3Ws Oval; St. Catherine v UWI ‘B’ v Bayfield.

The quarter-finals are slated for October 17, semi-finals (October 24) and Final (November 14).

As far as individual performances are concerned, Kyle Corbin of UWI ‘A’ boasts of the most runs (276) including two centuries, at an average of 55.20.

Last Saturday, the 30-year-old Corbin became only the second batsman to score two centuries in a season when he slammed 100 not out against St. Catherine, who lost by nine wickets at Bayfield.

Chasing 153, UWI ‘A’ triumphed with 4.1 overs remaining. Corbin faced 57 balls and struck four fours and seven sixes.

In Series 5, he made 112 against Lords at the 3Ws Oval.

David Carter of Wildey was the first batsman to score two centuries in a season in 2015 – and on consecutive days. Then aged 24, left-hander Carter made 116 not out against St. Catherine at SJPI (May 23) and 110 not out off Yorkshire at Friendship (May 24).

Currently a UWI ‘B’ player, Carter is the younger brother of Jonathan Carter, the UWI ‘A’ and Barbados Pride batting all-rounder.

Apart from Corbin, only two other batsmen have scored over 200 runs. They are: Shaqkere Parris (Barbados Youth ‘A’) 224 (ave; 32.00) with three half-centuries and Raymond Kellman (YMPC) 222 (ave: 55.50) including two fifties.

The other batsmen with more than 125 runs are: Kyle Hope (Pickwick) 195 (ave: 27.85); Hakeem Perryman (Barbados Youth ‘A’) 186 (ave: 37.20); Rashawn Worrell (Barbados Youth ‘B’) 182 (ave: 36.40); Tahj Tavernier (UWI ‘B’) 181 (ave: 30.16); Zachary McCaskie (Wildey) 175 (ave: 29.16); Athelbert Brathwaite (Yorkshire) 167 (ave: 41.75); Shamar Forde (Foundation) 162 (ave: 32.40); Mekhail Marshall (Carlton) 160 (ave: 32.00); Shamar Springer (Carlton) 159 (ave: 39.75); Kraigg Brathwaite (Wanderers) 158 (ave: 52.66); Johann Jeremiah (UWI ‘A’) 153 (ave: 30.60); Amari Goodridge (UWI ‘B’) 150 (ave: 30.00); Yvan Grant (Pickwick) 149 (ave: 37.25); Dayne Doughty (Foundation) 148 (ave: 24.66); Kadeem Alleyne (Gladiola) 148 (ave: 21.14); Dwayne Smith (YMPC) 146 (ave: 29.20); Lamar Worrell (Yorkshire) 146 (ave: 24.33); Vidal Crandon (UWI ‘B’) 144 (ave: 24.00); Neil Browne (St. Catherine) 142 (ave: 28.40); Marlon Welcome-Goodman (Carlton) 141 (ave: 23.50); Brandon Thompson (Lords) 139 (ave: 23.16); Alcindo Holder (St. Catherine) 136 (ave: 34.00); Sadrian Ward (Isolation Cavaliers) 135 (ave: 33.75); Kevin Wickham (Barbados Youth ‘A’) 128 (ave: 25.60); Craig St. Hill (Wildey) 128 (ave: 25.60); Mikhail Austin (St. Catherine) 128 (ave: 25.60); Jason Greene (Wanderers) 127 (ave: 25.40); Jamaine Bullen (Isolation Cavaliers) 126 (ave: 31.50).

The battle for the most wickets is very competitive.

Pickwick pacer Cherran Thompson leads the way with 13. His economy rate is 6.40, with an average of 10.84.

Second with 12 wickets is another fast bowler, Teriq Worrell of Gladiola (ER: 6.16; ave: 9.58).

But of those with at least eight wickets, veteran Dwayne Smith, the YMPC captain and all-rounder, who bowls medium-pace, has the best economy rate as well as the best average in taking 11 wickets (ER: 3.41; ave: 5.63).

The others who have qualified are: Andre Marshall (Spartan) 11 (ER: 4.25; ave: 7.72); Nkosi Ross (YMPC) 11 (ER: 5.15; ave: 9.36); Chaim Holder (Spartan) 10 (ER: 5.83; ave: 14.00); Damario Goodman (Gladiola) 9 (ER: 4.44; ave: 8.88); Jamaine Bullen (Isolation Cavaliers) 9 (ER: 5.00; ave: 11.66); Korie Miller (Gladiola) 9 (ER: 5.62; ave: 8.44); Matthew Forde (UWI ‘A’) 9 (ER: 6.00; ave: 12.33); Romario Greaves (UWI ‘A’) 9 (ER: 6.04; ave: 14.77); Jamali Lynch (Lords) 9 (ER: 6.59; ave: 14.88); Jamar Trotman (Gladiola) 8 (ER: 4.54; ave: 13.62); Antonio Austin (YMPC) 8 (ER: 4.86; ave: 7.50); Tariq O’Neale (Barbados Youth ‘A’) 8 (ER: 5.03; ave: 19.53); Michael Agard Jr (Gladiola) 8 (ER: 5.65; ave: 12.25); Kemar Stanford (Lords) 8 (ER: 5.72; ave: 15.75); Kevin Wickham (Barbados Youth ‘A’) 8 (ER: 6.06; ave: 11.37); Rico Hurley (BDFSP) 8 (ER: 6.11; ave: 13.00); Rivaldo Clarke (Barbados Youth ‘A’) 8 (ER: 6.36; ave: 10.87); Tariq Hoyte (Yorkshire) 8 (ER: 6.43; ave: 12.87); Akeem Evelyn (Yorkshire) 8 (ER: 7.80; ave: 20.50); Romario Parris (Yorkshire) 8 (ER: 8.23; ave: 21.62).

Leading wicket-keepers: Sylvester Moore (Wanderers) 9 (7 catches/2 stumpings); Tevyn Walcott (UWI ‘A’) 8 (6/2); Andre Roach (Empire) 6 (4/2); Craig Holder (Pickwick) 6 (5/1); Shonquono Stanford (Lords) 6 (4/2); Shem Watson (Gladiola) 5 (2/3).     

Other than wicket-keepers: Jadan Jones (YMPC) 8; Venice Vaughan (Barbados Youth ‘A’), Kadeem Alleyne (Gladiola), Michael Agard (Gladiola), Kyle Hope (Pickwick) 6; Javon Searles (Gladiola), Marrodon Bend (Spartan), Jamar Ifill (UWI ‘A’), Jason Greene (Wanderers), Nkosi Ross (YMPC) 5.

Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (now Elite) Championship for over three-and-a-half decades and is responsible for editing the BCA website (www.bcacricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com