Ipswich win T20 Plate title

Midas Magic Ipswich Cricket Club are the winners of the  Barbados Cricket Association’s (BCA) inaugural Second Division Plate T20  competition. The youthful Ipswich team defeated a vastly experienced BNOC side that included several former First Division players by seven runs in a thrilling encounter at Kensington Oval last Saturday evening.

The Eden Lodge, St Michael-based team scored 128 for eight, after they were invited to bat on a lively pitch. Sixteen-year-old Barbados Youth opening batsman Shaqkere Parris top-scored with 36, and Man of the Match Omar Marshall made 23 vital runs from 24 balls to halt a slide in Ipswich’s middle order. Medium-pacer Damien Payne, the son of former Barbados and West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Thelston Payne who took four wickets for 29, was the most successful bowler for BNOC.

Set a target of 129 runs victory, BNOC were wobbling at 14 for four wickets after four overs, but the burly Kelvin Patterson injected life into the St Philip side’s batting with a hard-hitting innings of 52 off 47 balls. He struck five fours and three sixes.

Patterson was dismissed in the 17th over and at that stage the score was 89 for six. BNOC required 40 runs but despite the efforts of Anthony Turton who scored 23 not out that included two sixes, they were restricted to 121 for the loss of six wickets. Marshall who took two wickets for 13 runs from four overs that included a maiden, was the outstanding bowler for Ipswich.   

After the match, Ipswich captain Stefan Holder told Barbados TODAY that hard work and a desire to be champions were the reasons his team won the Plate.

“We thought that there would have not been any cricket this season because of COVID-19. Afterwards, it was announced that the Second Division clubs would take part in the Plate. The team is made up of several young players and they worked extremely hard to prepare for the tournament. We wanted to win the competition, the last time the club won a title was the Second Division championship way back in 1984. Ipswich is a community-based club and we wanted to win the competition for our fans and the community. This victory will bring a lot of joy to the community and I hope it will be an inspiration to the youth in area,” Holder said.