CUL DE SAC--A swashbuckling 41 runs and four for 24 with the ball from Daniel Doram ensured that General Auto Repairs (GAR) Spartans lifted the St. Maarten Concrete T20 championship trophy at the Caribe Lumber Ballpark on Sunday.
The Spartans defeated arch-rival NAGICO United Cricket Club by 36 runs in the final that truly entertained the fair-sized crowd.
The Spartans, who were surprisingly inserted by the opposition, compiled 167 for six off 20 overs. NAGICO responded with 131 for nine off the allotted overs.
Doram was largely responsible for the winning total after he came to the crease with his team struggling for fluency at 90 for three off 13 overs. In the next five overs, though, Spartans scored 60 runs, mainly because of Doram’s brilliance. His 41 runs came off 26 balls as he dominated that partnership with Dameon Williams at the other end. Doram hit three sixes and two fours. His sixes were long and went far while his fours were pleasing to the eye. Both fours were hit through the off side.
Earlier in the inning, it was Sherwin Peters’ show as he slammed 54 off 34 balls (5x4, 3x6). He gave the inning a good start power-play overs which conceded 57 runs for one wicket. His dismissal saw a middle-order slump with the spinners putting the brakes on the rapid scoring until Doram featured prominently in the latter stage of the inning to give his team a decent score to defend.
NAGICO’s response was measured in the early scenes and by the end looked erratic and misdirected. Stephen Evans struggled to get the ball away but decided to fight his way to 13 off 15 balls (1x4) but Iassie Gabriel was erratic for his one off seven balls. Moreland Le Blanc gesticulated through push-ups, punching the air and screaming out motivational words towards himself that the fielding team found amusing. When he was bowled by Doram for 24 off 20 balls (2x4, 2x6) at least four of the fielders did push-ups for him to accompany an animated send-off.
Lenny Boland clobbered Doram for six off the first ball he received to divert the attention to him. He batted well for 41 off 32 balls (1x4, 3x6) but his inning lacked the explosion of Doram’s. In the end, NAGICO was outplayed by a more professional unit.
Earlier in the day, Winair Conquerors defeated Masters for the third-place trophy. The winners posted 131 for seven in 20 overs. Masters replied with an embarrassing 69 all out.
The top scorer for Conquerors was Captain Raphael Baptiste with 39 off 29 balls (5x4). The best bowler for Masters was Mervin Randolph with three for 22 off four overs.
The top scorer for Masters was Don Farrell with 26 (4x4). No other batsman crossed into double figures. Avinash Latchman with three for 20 off four overs and U17 player Samuel Morton with three for 20 off four overs were the main wicket-takers.
