Match Report – 7th Match VPL 4: Grenadines Divers vs La Soufriere Hikers
Hikers won the toss and chose to bowl, stating that they batted first in their two matches so far and lost.
Hikers started bowling well, containing Divers to 19/1 after 3 overs. Shem Browne, being his usual attacking self, smacked two sixes off the last two deliveries of the powerplay, pushing Divers to 35/1 after they were well behind in their innings. Hodge was very economical, conceding only 8 runs and taking the wicket of Roland Cato who was looking in good touch.
Rayan Williams, in for his first game of the tournament, removed Shallow who was struggling badly, only being able to score his 4 runs from 14 deliveries. Williams himself had a mixed bag bowling four wides in the over, but managed to deliver dot balls otherwise. Divers capitalised on the 6th over bowled by Jeremy Layne. Hooper swung hard over long on for six and was joined by Shem Browne who swatted a pull shot for six. He also edged down to the third man boundary to push Divers to 58/2 at the end of the over.
Romario Bibby bowled the 7th over and bowled a deadly yorker first up, but Browne managed to get bat on it to get a streaky boundary. Bibby was back for revenge, and fired in another yorker and rooted the middle stump to remove the dangerous looking Browne. Browne made 29 from 12 deliveries, hitting 2 fours and 3 sixes. Rayan Williams bowled the 8th over and was having a dream. He removed dangermen Joseph & Hooper off the first two deliveries of the over. He missed the hat trick as he bowled a wide but on the next delivery, he had Strough bowled – the ball just kissing the bails on it’s way through. Williams finished his spell with figures of 4 wickets for 7 runs.
Divers got 18 runs off the penultimate over, seven of those coming from wides. Divers finished their innings on 96/6. Shem Browne top scored with 29 with extras contributed 19 towards the total.
Gidron Pope started Hikers innings by swinging a huge six over mid wicket and sending the ball out the ground. Hooper persisted and had Pope holding out to long on. Imran Joseph had captain Maloney plumb lbw, Hikers in some trouble at 23/2 after three overs. Hodge, normally a circumspect player, was in attacking mode and hit a boundary and followed with two maximums. Hikers finished the powerplay on 42/2.
Captain Hooper brought himself back into the attack, knowing that they needed to apply pressure. Hodge cut away a wide one for four but Hooper got Douglas while attempting to swing for the stands, to leave Hikers at 51/3 at the half way mark. Strough, one of the best death bowlers around, was brought on for the sixth over but he couldn’t stem the flow of runs as his over conceded 11 runs.
Joseph, bowling with hostility, was pulled over long on by Hodge for six. The next delivery, another short ball followed and Hodge pulled to an empty square leg boundary for four. The equation was down to 22 runs from 18 deliveries. The game was done and dusted with 7 balls to spare. Hodge top scored with 48 not out from 22 deliveries, hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes. Andrew Thomas supported well with 17 not out from 10 deliveries, hitting 2 fours and 1 six. Asif Hooper was the pick of the bowlers with 2-16 from his 2 overs.
Grenadines Divers 96/6 (10 overs)
La Soufriere Hikers 97/3 (8.5 overs)