Barbados Become First To Qualify For BPL Final
[Written by Patrick Bean]
Barbados became the first team to make it to the final of the Bermuda Premier League [BPL], after they defeated a gallant Grassroots Cricket Academy by 48 runs at White Hill Field.
After winning the toss Barbados started well, with opening batsmen Leniko Boucher and Rashawn Worrell putting on 27 for the first wicket, before the latter was spectacularly caught at mid-on by Uri Smith off Ishmael Peters.
Barbados team prior to taking on Grassroots Cricket Academy
Worrell had amassed 19 and was attempting a full-blooded on-drive, only to be left standing in amazement when Smith held the chance, while falling backwards.
Boucher though maintained his innings, high-scoring for Barbados with 30 runs, scored from 24 balls, including four boundaries
Captain Matthew Jones was next high scorer, contributing 24, while Yvan Grant [14], Jonathan Drakes [14] and Demeritus Richards [10] also managed to make it into double figures.
Peters was the top bowler for Grassroots Cricket Academy, with four for 33, while Martin claimed three for 20.
Chasing 146 Grassroots Cricket Academy found the going difficult against a disciplined Barbados attack, although Michael Dover [23] was yet able to score with regularity at the top of the order.
However, once Dover was removed lbw by Jones, a mini-collapse ensued as captain Kadeem Henry [five] and Smith [four] both fell.
Kemar Smith of Barbados receives Man-of-the-Match Award from former Gary Darrell
Larry Audain [17] added some stability in the middle order, but he was run out in strange circumstances, first being dropped by Kemar Smith at Cow Corner, only to fall victim to a direct hit of the stumps, after straying out of his batting crease.
Paul Miller ended as the second high man for the Antigua and Barbuda side, with 24, but such was not enough to trouble the Bajans, as Grassroots Cricket Academy were all out for 98.
Man-of-the-Match Kemar Smith, an off-break bowler proved practically unplayable in leading Barbados’ attack with three for ten, while Zidane Clarke and Matthew Jones each took a brace.
“It was a really good team performance today,” said Smith, who was able extract prodigious turn out of the pitch. “I knew how the pitch was going to play, that it was going to spin and some balls would keep low, so I hit a good line and ended up with three for ten.”
Smith added how Barbados had come into the tournament with the intention of winning and were keen to complete the task.
“We came here with expectations to win the tournament, so we’re sticking to the way we play, the same attitude and mindset, all the way through to the final.”
Scorecard
| Barbados National Team | R | B | 4′s | 6′s | SR | Min | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leniko Boucher † | c & b Jedidiah Martin | 30 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 125 | |
| Rashawn Worrell | c Uri Smith b Ishmael Peters | 19 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 146.15 | |
| Yvan Grant | b Miandre James | 14 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 140 | |
| Jonathan Drakes | lbw b Jedidiah Martin | 14 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 93.33 | |
| Demertius Richards | lbw b Isiah Attwood | 10 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 62.5 | |
| Kemar Smith | b Jedidiah Martin | 8 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 66.67 | |
| Matthew Jones * | b Ishmael Peters | 24 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 126.32 | |
| Shaquille Cumberbatch | not out | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75 | |
| Stefon King | b Ishmael Peters | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50 | |
| Zidane Clarke | c Larry Audain b Ishmael Peters | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Javed Leacock | run out [Larry Audain] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Extras [w 21] 21
Total [10 wickets; 19.5 overs] 146 All Out 7.36 RPO
Did not bat: Amari Goodridge, Shaqkere Parris
Fall of Wicket: 27-1 [ Rashawn Worrell 2.6 ov ], 58-2 [ Yvan Grant 5.4 ov ], 91-3 [ Jonathan Drakes 10.1 ov ], 92-4 [ Leniko Boucher † 10.4 ov ], 100-5 [ Kemar Smith 12.4 ov ], 135-6 [ Matthew Jones * 17.6 ov ], 135-7 [ Demertius Richards 18.1 ov ], 140-8 [ Stefon King 19.2 ov ], 140-9 [ Zidane Clarke 19.3 ov ], 146-10 [ Javed Leacock 19.5 ov ]
| Grass Roots Academy | O | M | R | W | EC | AV | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ishmael Peters | 3.5 | 0 | 33 | 4 | 8.61 | 8.25 | [w 10] |
| PM Miller | 3.0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 7.67 | - | [w 3] |
| Amahl Nathaniel | 1.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 | - | [w 1] |
| Miandre James | 2.0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 10.00 | 20.00 | [w 5] |
| Jedidiah Martin | 4.0 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 5.00 | 6.67 | |
| Kadeem Henry * | 4.0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5.75 | - | |
| Isiah Attwood | 2.0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 7.50 | 15.00 | [w 2] |
| Antigua/Barbuda, Grass Roots Academy | R | B | 4′s | 6′s | SR | Min | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dover † | lbw b Matthew Jones * | 23 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 109.52 | |
| Kadeem Henry * | st Leniko Boucher † b Matthew Jones * | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 | |
| Uri Smith | c Leniko Boucher † b Stefon King | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200 | |
| Larry Audain | run out [Kemar Smith] | 17 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 94.44 | |
| Amahl Nathaniel | c Kemar Smith b Javed Leacock | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | |
| PM Miller | lbw b Zidane Clarke | 24 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 100 | |
| Jedidiah Martin | c Javed Leacock b Kemar Smith | 14 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 70 | |
| Sean Joseph | lbw b Zidane Clarke | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ishmael Peters | b Kemar Smith | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | |
| Miandre James | b Kemar Smith | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | |
| Isiah Attwood | not out | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
Extras [w 4, lb 3] 7
Total [10 wickets; 18.2 overs] 98 5.35 RPO
Fall of Wicket: 17-1 [ Kadeem Henry * 2.6 ov ], 26-2 [ Uri Smith 3.5 ov ], 32-3 [ Michael Dover † 4.6 ov ], 39-4 [ Amahl Nathaniel 6.3 ov ], 67-5 [ Larry Audain 10.5 ov ], 83-6 [ PM Miller 13.4 ov ], 83-7 [ Sean Joseph 13.5 ov ], 86-8 [ Ishmael Peters 14.5 ov ], 94-9 [ Miandre James 16.4 ov ], 98-10 [ Jedidiah Martin 18.2 ov ]
| Barbados, Barbados National Team | O | M | R | W | EC | AV | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Jones * | 3.0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 5.00 | 7.50 | |
| Stefon King | 4.0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 | 29.00 | [w 1] |
| Javed Leacock | 4.0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 4.75 | 19.00 | |
| Kemar Smith | 3.2 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3.00 | 3.33 | [w 2] |
| Zidane Clarke | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 7.00 | 10.50 | [w 1] |
| Shaquille Cumberbatch | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | - |
Schedule:
Saturday, September 9
10:00 AM – Barbados National Team vs Bermuda Select XI @ NSC [North Field]
2:00 PM – Bermuda National Team vs Grassroots Academy @ NSC [North Field]
Sunday, September 10
10:00 AM – Plate final 3-4 @ NSC [North Field]
2:00 PM – Final 1-2 @ NSC [North Field]
