Settlers on top

Defending champions Settlers maintained their winning streak to remain the only unbeaten team, but it was bottom-of-the-table Warriors who took the major plaudits as the fifth day of action in the BIM 10 Cricket competition wound up on Sunday.

Settlers swept aside Guardians, their opponents in the inaugural final last year, by seven wickets in the opening match, but Warriors, who had lost all their previous matches, flexed their muscles for the first time and thrashed the favoured Titans by a massive 45-run margin in the late game.

Warriors’ captain Jonathan Carter excited the biggest crowd of the tournament so far, with a match-winning 71 not out, filled with scintillating stroke play from a final total of 151 for one after they were invited to bat.

Carter slammed nine sixes from the 33 balls he faced and combined with Maraddon Bend to post an unbroken, 135-run second wicket stand off just 51 balls.

Benn, batting at number three, came to the crease after Yvan Grant was dismissed in the second over, and was equally as devastating as his captain, spanking half a dozen maximums and a four in scoring 57 off 24 deliveries.

The daunting target proved to be way beyond Titans’ batters who only managed 106 for six to surrender in the presence of West Indies Chief Selector, The Most Honourable Desmond Haynes, after whom the Brighton, Black Rock ground is named.

Carter returned with the ball to capture two wickets for 33 while left-arm spinner Andre Marshall helped maintain the stranglehold, taking two for 16.

Earlier in the first match, disciplined bowling by Settlers restricted Guardians, also unbeaten before yesterday, to 79 for  six, with off-spinner Shakkae Marshall snaring two for 13 from two overs with the new ball

In their turn, Settlers cruised to 80 for three to win comfortably by seven wickets with nine balls to spare.

Athelbert Brathwaite, returning to his regular role as opener, cracked four boundaries and two sixes in a classy 36 not out, upstaging century-maker from their previous match, Kadeem Alleyne and Kevin Wickham who both fell cheaply, to steer the Settlers home.

The tournament takes a break on Monday’s bank holiday and resumes at noon on Tuesday. 

Summarised scores:

Match 9: Guardians 79/6 (10 overs) (J. Roberts 19, T. Tavernier 18, R. Primus 15, D. Evelyn 12; S. Marshall 2-13) Settlers 80/3 (8.3 overs) (Athelbert Brathwaite 36 n. o. (25 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes), D. Richards 16 n. o.) Settlers won by seven wickets.

Player-of- the-Match: Athelbert Brathwaite

Match 10: Warriors 151/1 (10 overs) (Jonathan Carter 71 n. o. (33 balls, 1 four, 9 sixes), Maraddon Bend 57 n. o. (24 balls, 1 four, 6 sixes) Titans 106/6 (10 overs) (A. Nurse 28, A. Morris 25 n. o. R. Kellman 20, A. Jones 14 n. o A. Marshall 2-12, J. Carter 2-33) Warriors won by 45 runs.

Player-of-the-Match: Jonathan Carter.

(GH)