Match Report: Semi Finals 2 – La Soufriere Hikers vs Botanical Gardens Rangers
Botanical Gardens Rangers won the toss and choose to field. Kesrick Williams bowled the first over and didn’t start well, bowling a wide first up, then having his 2nd delivery smashed for 6 by Salvan Browne. The 3rd delivery went for 4 through mid wicket, caused by poor fielding on the boundary . The final delivery was a mis field that went for another boundary – 17/0 after 1 over. Kenneth Dember was in to bowl the 2nd over and it was tidy, only conceding 7 runs. Kimali Williams was in to bowl the 3rd over – it started well but Salvan Browne being in serious form, hammered two pull shots for boundaries, ending up taking 11 runs from the over. Kevin Abraham bowled the final over of the powerplay and Salvan Browne again, doing another over of massacre, taking 17 runs from the over, hitting two sixes and 1 four – the score 53/0.
Romario Bibby bowled the 5th over – Dean Browne was struggling but managed to hit a straight six but perished on the final delivery of the over, with the over conceding 12 runs, with the Hikers still largely in charge. Nigel Small delivered the 6th over and conceded 9 in the over, taking the score to 74/1. Romario Bibby was back for the 7th over. Dillon Douglas thumped a full one over mid wicket then played a cut down to third man that was misfielded for 4. It was followed by a dilscoop for 6! Another full delivery was bowled into his pads and it was sweetly struck over long on for 6, but it wasn’t done there – another 6 was swung over mid wicket, making it the most expensive over of the tournament, conceding 31 runs and taking the score to 105/1.
Kenneth Dember was back for the 8th over but even he couldn’t stop the massacre, as Salvan Browne went bang, 6 over long off and drilled a 4 through long on. Dillon Douglas finished with a 4 driven over covers, taking the score to 122/1. Marquee player Kesrick Williams bowled the 9th over and started with a wide. Next two deliveries went for a single and a dot but the third one was muscled over mid wicket for a huge six by Douglas. The fourth delivery was bowled slower and full outside off and Douglas smashed it over long on for another 6, bringing up his half century in 14 deliveries. The final 2 deliveries were a single and dot but the over conceding 16 runs, taking the score to 138/1. The final over was going to be bowled by off spinner Nigel Small, a rare sight in short form Cricket, but they were out of options. The over was tidy and Salvan Browne got run out lazily but he had done his job, finishing on 70 from 28 balls hitting 8 fours and 4 sixes. A cut shot for 4 from Douglas finished the innings on a perfect 150/2. Dillon Douglas remained unbeaten on 58 from 18 deliveries, hitting 2 fours and 7 sixes.
Othneil Lewis was up against Hyron Shallow and the first delivery was carved for 6, the second square driven for 4 but the balance of the over was good – the score 12/0. Dillon Douglas was on to bowl the 2nd over and it was good for most part, except the last delivery that was short and was pulled by Shallow for 4, taking the score to 22/0. Othneil Lewis returned for the 3rd over and was immediately struck for 6 by Dember and he followed up to hit the penultimate delivery of the over for a hard hit straight drive for 4, the score going to 36/0. The fourth over, bowled by Douglas, had Shallow smashing a 6. Dember then pulled through mid wicket and was gifted a boundary by a misfield. Douglas had Shallow caught at long on off the last delivery of the over, to break a partnership that was entertaining, though not quite threatening in the context of the game. The score on 50/1 after the powerplay, a staggering 101 required from 36 deliveries.
Romel Currency joined Dember at the crease to face Kenson Dalzell bowling the 5th over. The over went for 11 runs, still too small to threaten the score line at this stage. Kimson Dalzell came to bowl the 6th over and immediately had success, bowling Romel Currency to continue to peg back the Rangers. Haywood was on to bowl next, and had Dember bowled, slowly killing the Rangers hopes of snatching a win from defeat. Kimson Dalzell bowled the 8th over and Kesrick Williams was having some fun, creaming an off drive for 4, and hit some crunching sixes to finish a good over that the fans enjoyed. Haywood bowled the 9th over and had Atticus Browne caught immediately. Kesrick Williams was run out the next delivery, going back for a sneaky second to keep strike. Ozico Williams came in, struck a four then was dismissed the next delivery. Joey Welcome was immediately dismissed for a golden duck.
The last over was bowled by Kenson Dalzell and the Rangers needed 47 runs to win, an impossible task. The Rangers batted well to get 117/7 but the Hikers batting was too powerful today, to deny them a spot in the finals. Jeremy Haywood was the pick of the bowlers taking 4-15 from his 2 overs, the best haul of the tournament.
Summary Scores:
La Soufriere Hikers 150/2 (10 overs)
Botanical Gardens Rangers 117/7 (10 overs)