FDICIC Strictly Business Living Up To Expectation
For the sixth time in the last year the star studded FDICIC Strictly Business made to another finals. The question that most people asked before the match was whether they were going to finish as Bride’s maid once again. In the previous five finals they could only manage to hold it together once to win it all. That championship came at the hands of Finance and Development Dredgers in the Dredgers Night League last year. Dredgers were well on their way to beating them for the second time in a final after previously doing so in the ABSCA 10 Overs Competition finals. However on that night Gerald “pappy” Chapman had something up his sleeve as he was called upon to bowl the ninth over of the innings with Dredgers needing less than a run a ball to win. He bowled a double wicket maiden which propelled them to a win that night. So could tonight be their night however unfortunately for them the hero of that night Gerald “Pappy” Chapman wasn’t in their lineup.
It was game time and similarly to their final group stage match four days earlier when both teams clash with both teams been undefeated at that stage FDICIC Strictly Business won the toss and elected to bat again. In that game they post 99 for 9 but failed to defend it after East Siders made 100 for 3 with a ball to spare. FDICIC Strictly Business started the match scoring at nine runs per over for the first two overs but East Siders were picking up wickets regularly which has always been the remedy to slow down any scoring rate. The inform Glen Horsford was run out with the first ball of the second over and Raymond Leadette who has had a poor run of form in the warm up tournament was trapped lbw (leg before wicket) with the very next ball. Wickets kept on falling as Stanley Farrell had Egbert Francis caught for 8 runs with the first ball of the third over. Captain Jefferson James fell for 6 in the sixth over leaving the score 29 for 4. It meant that the burden was left to the always reliable Vaughn “Joey” Christopher who finished the tournament as the leading batsmen with runs and average, 155 runs in six innings at an average of 51.7. But on this night he was unfortunately run out for 18 runs after his partner Keithly “Zaza” Greene failed to respond to what would have been a sharp single and both batsmen ended up in the same crease. With the very next ball Dave Fenton had Greene caught and he followed up that deliver with another wicket, that of David Pryce without scoring. This meant that FDICIC Strictly Business lost three wickets with the first three balls of the eighth over leaving them 45 for 7. They manage to score a further twenty runs in the last two overs to post a score of 65 for 8.
East Siders were full with confidence knowing very well that they had kept their opponent to a below par score on that ground in this tournament. Also they have been batting very well as a unit with scores of 100 for 5, 83 for 4, 110 for 5, 100 for 3 and 89 for 3 off seven overs in their semifinals win over Finance and Development Dredgers. They have added some good pieces to their lineup this year players such as Cortwright “Carty” Mason, Walter “Bini” Carr, Ashfield “To Long” Weatherhead, Stanley Farrell and Bertram Miller.
It was East Siders turn at the crease needing just 6.6 runs per over got off to a brilliant start scoring 14 runs in the first over off Raymond Leadette. The captain turned to the experience Egbert Francis to bowl the second over but he went for 8 runs which was above the required run rate needed. Even after a brilliant wicket maiden by Mervin Thomas in which he had the wicket of inform Kirk Douglas for 6, East Siders were scoring over 7.3 runs per over. Kirk Douglas finished his campaign as the second leading runs scorer with 129 runs. It was Mervin Thomas second maiden of the tournament as he finished the tournament with figures of 6 overs, 22 runs, 2 maidens and 5 wickets. The captain then gave the ball Vaughn “Joey” Christopher who went for 5 runs and finished the tournament with figures of 5 overs for 20 runs 1 wicket. Newly added Cortwright Mason batted brilliantly with poise as he ensure his team won their first ever competition. He was forced to retire after hitting a huge six that took him to 34 runs and leaving his team a further 5 runs to win. One of the rules in this ABSCA Pre-Season Tournament is that after scoring 32 runs the batsman has to retire and can only return after each batsmen would have been given a chance at the crease. Paul Lampkin came to the crease and hit the winning run clipping Tony Straker off his pad to the square leg boundary for four. Player of the finals was Cortwright “Carty” Mason for his 34 runs not out and 2 brilliant catches.
Losing twice in five days to the same team and yet another bride’s maid must be a crushing feeling for FDICIC Strictly Business. So now can they rebound with the ABSCA CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE CO. LTD 10 OVERS COMPETITION starting on Sunday 24th February?
Earlier in the night in the ABSCA Pre-Season Tournament female finals FDICIC Strictly Business came up against the female powerhouse Quality Boat Works Enforcers who have won four out of the last five competitions within the last year. FDICIC Strictly Business took first hit and never looked to take the attack to Quality Boat Works Enforcers. They could only manage to score 49 for 5 from their allotted 10 overs with top score coming from Lorraine James 19 runs. She was also the top batswoman in the tournament with runs and average scoring 60 runs in four innings at an average of 30. Quality Boat Works Enforcers came out showing the quality of the girls as scored 52 for 1 in 8.3 overs top score came from Gale Lee who retired on 20 (quota for the female teams) and earlier had bowled a wicket maiden. She was name Player of the finals.
The top wicket taker in the male was Edwin Scotland of Bethesda Prodigals who took 7 wickets in 5 overs for 26 runs. Best bowling figures came from Leslie Dunnah of Harney Motors/Shoppers Pharmacy Island Boys 1 over, 4 wickets, 0 Runs. For the female Sacha Michael and Gale Lee of Quality Boat Works Enforcers both had 3 wickets. Also Sherma Jackson, Sevly Ireland and Kathernia King of Antigua Sails Female Flyers all had 3 wickets. The male MVP of the tournament is Kirk Douglas of East Siders scoring 129 runs at an average of 32.25 and also had 4 wickets for 45 runs in 6 overs. The female MVP of the tournament is Gale Lee of Quality Boat Works Enforcers scoring 42 runs at an average of 14 and also had 3 wickets for 8 runs in 4 overs with 1 maiden.
An excellent climax to the ABSCA Preseason Tournament as it has set the stage for the season. So come out on Sunday 24th February to Dredgers, Powells, PMS and AGS and enjoy some lovely cricket in the ABSCA CARIBBEAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE CO. LTD 10 OVERS COMPETITION.
