By Keith Holder
Centuries by the Empire pair of Jai-Bari Yarde and Kevin Wickham highlighted the quarter-finals of the BCA Elite/Division 1 Super Cup Championship last Sunday.
In a splendid display at Bank Hall, Yarde and Wickham set the stage for a comfortable win by 64 runs (DLS method) against Police.
It was a record third century of the season for opener Yarde, who scored 104, while the talented Wickham, who played for the West Indies Under-19 team at the ICC Youth World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year, made 105 – his first ton in the island’s top one-day Competition.
The other teams advancing to the semi-finals were defending champions Wildey, Wanderers and BWU Gladiola.
Wildey defeated Sagicor Life UWI ‘A’ by seven wickets (DLS method) at 3Ws Oval, Wanderers brushed aside Fusionz Boutique Spartan by eight wickets at Dayrells Road and Gladiola beat IGS Insurance Brokers Yorkshire by five wickets at Rices.
In the semi-finals scheduled for neutral venues on September 18, Empire will clash with Wildey at Bayfield and Wanderers oppose Gladiola at KMV Oval.
Empire and Wildey also met in the semi-finals the last time the tournament was played in 2019 with Wildey triumphing by 96 runs at Bank Hall.
There was another battle at the same ground between the teams in the second round this season on June 18. Empire won by five wickets.
As far as last Sunday was concerned, after losing the toss in a match initially reduced to a 45-over because of wet conditions, Empire amassed 284 for five.
Wickham joined Yarde in the seventh over with the score 28 for one after Barbados Under-19 team player Hakeem Perryman fell for two off 16 balls.
The pair took command, adding 162 off 26.2 overs before Yarde was dismissed.
Yarde was at the crease for 106 balls and struck eight threes and nine fours. He now has the most runs in the tournament for the season – 433 (Ave: 72.16) in eight matches. His other centuries are 100 not out v UWI ‘B’ (Series 1) and 105 v ESA Field Pickwick (Series 7) – both also on home turf.
Wickham was fourth out in the 43rd over with the score 242, having faced 110 deliveries. He hit 12 threes and four fours.
Set a revised target of 264 off 40 overs following an interruption for rain, Police were 166 for seven off 36 overs when fading light ended play.
Mario Albert scored 76 not out off 91 balls with nine threes and six fours at No. 4.
Left-arm spinner Camarie Boyce took three for 33 off eight overs, pushing his tally of wickets for the season to 17.
Significantly, all-rounder Nathan Sealy, the top wicket-taker in the Tournament this season, turned out for Empire on Sunday, making it the third team he has represented following his school Foundation and SigniaGlobe Financial Barbados Youth ‘B’ – both of which he captained.
A left-arm spinner and right-hand batsman, Sealy picked up one for 30 off six overs including the only maiden over of the match. He now has 23 wickets.
It has been a busy season for Sealy, who also skippered the Barbados Under-17 team in the regional limited overs Tournament in Trinidad and played for the national Under-19 side in the three-day Championship in St. Vincent.
Wildey produced a solid all-round performance.
Sent in, UWI ‘A’ were bowled out for 167 in 44 overs.
Opener Zachary McCaskie hit the topscore of 72 off 92 balls including seven fours and two sixes.
Off-spinner Shane Jones took three for 29 off six overs, leg-spinner Zishan Motara, three for 33 off 10 overs and Jerome Jones, two for 30 off nine overs.
Chasing a revised target of 154 off 43 overs, Wildey triumphed in 28.1 overs.
Captain Craig St. Hill led the way with 61 off the same number of balls including four sixes and one four at the top.
Demetrius Richards was unbeaten on 37 off 86 balls, while talented Foundation schoolboy and Barbados Under-17 and Under-19 player Joshua Dorne made 30 not out off 25 deliveries with three sixes and one four.
St. Hill and Richards added 103 for the third wicket.
Left-arm pacer Jediah Blades took two for 37 off seven overs.
Dorne was joined by another Barbados Youth ‘B’ and national Under-17 player, Zion Brathwaite, of Queen’s College, in representing Wildey for the first time in the Tournament.
Ironically, two members of the UWI ‘A’ side – McCaskie and off-spinner Romario Greaves – played for Wildey in 2019.
At Dayrells Road, unbeaten half-centuries by captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Ryshon Williams spurred Wanderers to their comfortable win in a match reduced to a 32-over.
In pursuit of 164, Wanderers achieved the target with 14 balls remaining.
Brathwaite scored 54 not out off 72 balls including two fours, while Williams raced to 52 not out off 40 balls with three fours and three sixes.
With Jason Greene (38), Brathwaite put on 65 in 13.2 overs for the first wicket, and added 75 in 12.1 overs with Williams.
After losing the toss, Spartan made 163 for nine.
Wicketkeeper Tauron Gibson topscored with 51 off 69 balls, hitting six fours and one six at No. 3.
Williams, who bowls left-arm spin, took three for 45 off seven overs and off-spinner Brathwaite, two for 20 off six overs.
Giovonte Depeiza, the Gladiola captain, also stood out with both ball and bat.
Depeiza took three for 18 off seven overs with his left-arm spin as Yorkshire fell for 114 in 37.4 overs after winning the toss.
Pacer Miguel Cummins picked up two for 12 off eight overs and off-spinner Ashley Nurse, two for 33 off nine overs.
Depeiza, a right-hand batsman, then scored 35 not out off 38 balls at No. 5 as the home team won in 31.4 overs.
Cyprian Payne made 34 off 59 deliveries.
Ravendra Persaud took two for 27 off 10 overs.
Summarised scores:
At Bank Hall: Empire beat Police by 64 runs (DLS method). Police were set a revised target of 264 off 40 overs.
Empire 284-5 (45 overs) (Kevin Wickham 105 – 110 balls, 12 threes, 4 fours; Jai-Bari Yarde 104 – 106 balls, 8 threes, 9 fours; Andre Roach 20, Shaquille Cumberbatch 17 not out, Shakkae Marshall 16, Kofie Hurdle 10 not out).
Police 166-7 (36 overs) (Mario Albert 76 not out – 91 balls, 9 threes, 6 fours, Karran Bhola 18, Roger Williams 15, Larry Babb 11; Camarie Boyce 3-33).
Toss: Police.
At 3Ws Oval: Wildey beat UWI ‘A’ by seven wickets (DLS method). Wildey were set a revised target of 154 off 43 overs.
UWI ‘A’ 167 all out (44 overs)(Zachary McCaskie 72 – 92 balls; 7 fours, 2 sixes; Kyle Corbin 27, Javed Leacock 19, Amari Goodridge 13, Shaqkere Parris 10; Shane Jones 3-29, Zishan Motara 3-33, Jerome Jones 2-32).
Wildey 154-3 (28.1 overs) (Craig St. Hill 61 – 61 balls, 1 four, 4 sixes; Demetrius Richards 37 not out, Joshua Dorne 30 not out; Jediah Blades 2-37).
Toss: Wildey.
At Dayrells Road: Wanderers beat Spartan by eight wickets.
Spartan 163-9 (32 overs) (Tauron Gibson 51 – 69 balls, 6 fours, 1 six; Chaim Holder 27, Nicholas Carter 19, Joshua Drakes 19; Ryshon Williams 3-45, Kraigg Brathwaite 2-20).
Wanderers 164-2 (29.3 overs) (Kraigg Brathwaite 54 not out – 72 balls, 2 fours; Ryshon Williams 52 not out – 40 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes; Jason Greene 38, Jonathan Drakes 12).
Toss: Wanderers.
At Rices: Gladiola beat Yorkshire by five wickets.
Yorkshire 114 all out (37.4 overs) (Akeem Nero 18, Christopher Best 15 Indal Persaud 14, Jamar Layne 14, Adrian Connell 10, Shakeem John-Ruck 10; Giovonte Depeiza 3-18, Miguel Cummins 2-12, Ashley Nurse 2-33).
Gladiola 118-5 (31.4 overs) (Giovonte Depeiza 35 not out, Cyprian Payne 34, Martin Nurse 15 not out, Kodi Phillips 13, Randy Thomas 11; Ravendra Persaud 2-27).
Toss: Yorkshire.
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 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
