Dark View Explorers vs Botanical Gardens Rangers Match Report – 22nd Match VPL 4
Rangers won the toss and chose to bowl.
Explorers struggled at the start of their innings, being 12/0 after three overs. Athanaze hit a four and six off the fourth over to pick up the pace. Lindon James pulled a six and also collected a boundary in the 5th over to push the score to 37/0. The opening partnership was broken in the 7th over with Cottoy dismissing Lindon James. The pair of James and Athanaze put on 46 from 41 deliveries. James lived a charmed life as he was caught off a no ball and also dropped twice. His innings of 24 came from 24 deliveries hitting 2 fours and 1 six.
Cottoy worked his leg spinning magic against Athanaze as he bowled a flighted one that spun through the gate of the advancing batsman. The penultimate over was expensive, conceding 24 runs, with Shaman Hooper doing the damage, hitting some outrageous shots. Kenneth Dember bowled a wonderful last over, which only conceded 4 runs to restrict Explorers to 80/3 from their 10 overs.
Andre Fletcher showed his prowess against pace bowling as he took Darius Martin for 2 fours and 2 sixes, one which was the no look six over mid wicket. It was a brave move by captain James to bring on the teenager Luke Wilson to bowl the 2nd over against the experience of Fletcher and Salvan Browne. Wilson showed how clever and brave he is, bowling with flight and guile to remove both Fletcher and Salvan Browne.
Keron Cottoy got off the mark with a six off his first delivery. While Luke Wilson trouble the other batsmen, Cottoy was able to launch a big six over long on. Luke Wilson could have done even more damage but the fielder on the mid wicket boundary spilled a straight forward chance that went for six off the bat of Harper.
Sealron Williams and Athanaze bowled the 5th and 6th over and only allowed 8 runs. The 7th over was savagely beaten as it contained 2 sixes and 1 four. Cottoy smoked a six over covers to finish the match in 7.4 overs. Keron Cottoy top scored with 32 not out from 19 deliveries hitting 4 sixes. Wayne Harper showed class in his knock of 27 not out from 16 deliveries, hitting 1 four and 2 sixes.
This loss for Explorers meant they finished 4th in the table.
Dark View Explorers 80/3 (10 overs)
Botanical Gardens Rangers 84/2 (7.4 overs)