Match Report: 1st Match – Grenadines Divers vs Botanical Garden Rangers
Kimali Williams delivered the first ball of the VPLT10 2nd edition and it was greeted with a lovely shot through mid off for four by Shem Browne. The next delivery, Shem, holding back the shot, was caught by a back peddling Dember at mid on. Theophile, new to the crease, played a sweet back foot shot over cover to finish the 1st over on 8-1.
Donald Delpesche, one of the most clever T20 seamers on the island and new to the VPL, was up to deliver the 2nd over and was greeted by a cover drive for four by Asif Hooper. Two balls later, he pulled out his fame slower delivery and out-foxed Hooper having him caught at mid off. Delpesche tried another slower ball to new batsman Nedd but his form from last VPL hasn’t changed, and he sent it flying over long on for six.
With action already happening in every over, the 3rd over wasn’t any different as Nedd was bowled down trying to heave Romario Bibby into the nearby airfield. Wayne Harper finished the 3rd over with a boundary from a sweet drive down the ground, taking the score to 26/3.
Harper & Theophile continued along steadily, to take the score to 42/3 in 5 overs, trying to build for a launch from the last 4 overs. Theophile took Providence for a six over long on taking the score 51/3 from 6. Keron Cottoy came for the 7th over and was greeted with three consecutive sixes between long on and cow corner from the blade of Theophile.
The skipper introduced himself in the 8th over but couldn’t keep the score from flowing, as Theophile continued to press along hitting another 6 over long on and taking the score to 84/3 from 8 overs.
Winston Samuel was up to bowl the 9th over and Theophile brought up his half century in style with a six down the ground. The over was finished with another six down the ground, Theophile continuing to impose himself as the overseas player. Delpesche was up to bowl the final over. He did a good job containing in the first four deliveries of the over but the last two was dismissed over the ropes by Harper finishing on 114/3 from their 10 overs. Theophile finished on 61 from 28 deliveries with 7 sixes and 2 fours, while Harper got 32 from 22 balls, hitting 2 fours and 2 sixes, putting on an unbeaten 95 runs from 42 deliveries.
Rain came during the interval thus reducing the 2nd innings to a 3 overs affair, with Rangers requiring 41 runs for victory. Hyron Shallow and Emmanuel Stewart opened the innings. Shallow hit the first delivery over covers for four. Shallow was run out off the final delivery of the over trying to steal a non-existant two.
Obed McCoy was up to bowl the 2nd over to Emmanuel Stewart and he was immediately cut for four then smashed powerfully over long on with a flat bat for six. A no ball was bowled that flew over the keeper and a mistake on the third man boundary allowed the delivery to go for four, taking 15 runs from the over so far with two deliveries to go. Stewart drove the penultimate delivery over long off for six, packing a punch for a little man. The score at 33/1 leaving only 8 to win from the last over.
The captain Hooper came to bowl the last over and the first was a dot. The 2nd was slashed and flew past short third man for four. The next delivery, Stewart charged down the ground and smashed a big one over mid wicket to finish the game in style with three balls to spare. Stewart finished unbeaten on 33 from 12 deliveries, hitting 3 fours and 3 sixes.
Summary Scores:
Grenadines Divers 114/3 (10 overs)
Botanical Garden Rangers 43/1 (2.3 overs)