Match Report – 6th Match VPL 4: Dark View Explorers vs Grenadines Divers
Divers won the toss and chose to field.
Asif hooper delivered a steady first over, conceding just three runs. Romano Pierre pulled Abraham over mid wicket and drove over wide long off for maximums during the 2nd over. Athanaze and Pierre both got boundaries off the final over of the powerplay to take Explorers to 35/0.
Athanaze continue to show his incredible form, smashing a fast bouncer from Bracie Browne into the double decker stands. Pierre swept for four and then slogged a maximum over mid wicket to take Explorers to 61/0 after six overs. Wesrick Strough, the leading wicket taker in VPL 1, made a crucial double strike in the 8th over, removing Athanaze and Pierre, who had an 81 run partnership together from 46 deliveries.
Imran Joseph bowled a good penultimate over, conceding nine runs, which is good at that stage of the innings. Wesrick Strough delivered a last over, taking two wickets for only four runs. He finished with immaculate figures of 4 wickets for 9 runs off his two overs and in the process, restricting Explorers to 95/4 – a below par total for the sort of batting surface being played on.
Divers got off to a horror start, losing Shallow via the run out route. Dean Browne got the wicket of his brother Shem Browne in the 3rd over, before Cato pulled and drove for six. Dean Browne backed himself and delivered a bouncer and enticed Cato in a hook but Cato only got his gloves on the ball and presented an easy catch for keeper James. Divers at the end of the powerplay were 39/3.
Sealron Williams, a usually reliable bowler for Explorers, was badly off target and captain Asif Hooper capitalised taking three boundaries off the over, punishing all the bad balls presented. Luke Wilson was charged with bowling the sixth over and he delivered a magnificent over, showing why he is one of the island’s academic scholar. He bowled with excellent change of pace and got turn and in the process, plucked out the wicket of Abraham and conceded three runs off the over.
Imran Joseph smashed Greaves for two sixes in the 8th over to push the score to 84/4, requiring 12 runs from 12 deliveries. Darius Martin bowled the penultimate over but Imran Joseph smashed a huge six over long on to basically drain all hopes from the Explorers. Joseph finished the game in style, drilling a full ball over mid wicket for a maximum.
Dark View Explorers 95/4 (10 overs)
Grenadines Divers 101/4 (8.3 overs)