Guardians claim top spot in BIM Cricket tournament after defeating Pelicans

Guardians took sole ownership of the lead of the points standings of the BIM Cricket tournament when they outplayed Pelicans in a top of the table clash in the BIM 10 Cricket tournament at Desmond Haynes Oval today.

Entering the seventh series match equal with Guardians and Settlers on eight points each, Guardians romped to a comfortable victory by 22 runs in the second of two games.

In the first encounter, Warriors got the better of Voyagers by seven wickets to draw level with the losers at the foot of the table with four points, in a rain affected contest.

Put in to bat, Guardians were given a rollicking start by openers Demario Richards and Ryshon Williams who slammed 20 off the first over of the innings bowled by pacer Chemar Holder.

The pair plundered 58 from the four overs of the power play and though just 17 runs came off the last three overs, Guardians were still able to post a challenging 107 for 6.

Contrastingly, Pelicans had a disastrous beginning to their innings, losing the wicket of Shian Brathwaite, bowled by Jair McAllister with the first delivery, and despite a classy 61 by Jonathan Drakes, stumbled to 85 for 7.

They slid to seven for 2 in the second over with Richards completing a slick stumping to get rid of Tauron Gibson off Williams’ bowling.

Drakes delighted the large Sunday afternoon crowd with a display of exquisite strokeplay but received absolutely no assistance from his other batters as the asking rate continued to climb.

The trio of opening partner Gibson and numbers three and four, Ian Boyce and Vataly Wilkinson, combined to contribute a single run off twelve deliveries and forced skipper Carlos Brathwaite to retire Wilkinson’s innings at the end of the sixth over, the score then 59 for 3.

When pacer Gary Austin bowled Brathwaite in the eighth over the match was basically reduced to a mere formality with 40 required off 12 balls.

Drakes’ polished innings concluded in the following over. The slimly-built right handed stylist, stroked six fours and four sixes off 34 balls and came from a total of 75 runs that were scored while he was at the crease.

In the earlier match yet another entertaining knock by Voyagers’ Akeem Springer proved to be in vain when rain halted an authoritative opening stand with captain Dwayne Smith after six overs.

Springer, one of the leading rungetters in the competition was denied a half century by the untimely interruption that found him on 48 and the total 62.

Set 63 off six overs, Warriors had their innings reduced by a further over and the target revised to 52 when another sharp shower forced a second break.

The outcome remained in the balance as three wickets fell for 26 in the first three overs until Jonathan Carter (33 not out) slammed four sixes and four off 10 balls to snatch the win for Voyagers.

Voyagers 62/3(6 Ov) (Akeem Springer 48 n. o. (22 balls, 3 fours, 5 sixes) Warriors 57/3 (4.5 Ov) Target 52 (5 Ov) Jonathan Carter 33 (10 balls, 1 four, 4 sixes) Warriors won by seven wickets.