CUL DE SAC--NAGICO Cricket Club and Future Champs recorded easy wins in their opening match of the VITAMALT T20 tournament at the Caribe Lumber Ballpark on Sunday.
NAGICO defeated WINAIR Conquerors by nine wickets and Future Champs made light work of KFC Twisters with a comprehensive six wicket win.
The Twisters tumbled to 75 all out with two balls to spare in the allotted 20 overs.
Jeremy Hodge of Future Champs unravelled the Twisters with outstanding bowling figures of six for six in 3.4 overs. Hodge who bowled uncomplicated left arm spin captured all his wickets with a level amusement.
He captured three wickets in his first over. Captain of the Twisters Amos Burney who scored nearly half of the team's runs received a juicy long hop but miscued it high in the air for the wicket keeper to take a simple catch. Sherwin Noble walked to crease after a two years self-imposed exile from cricket was trapped right in front by a slow straight ball. Next ball, Merwin Vallet swung wildly and was bowled middle stump. The comedy of errors continued in Hodge next over when Kern Saunders ran down the pitch and was deceived in flight and fell short as he scrambled back into his crease.
The Twisters at that point lost four wickets for one run. And when Chetram Ram hit a skier to the long on fielder off Mrinal Wadhwa, the batting team lost an embarrassing five wickets for just two runs.
Quite fittingly, Hodge bowled the last batsman Azad Khan for naught.
Burney with 37 off 35 balls (7x4) and Troy Toney with 12 off 28 balls (1x4) were the only players with double figures.
In response, Shadrack Descarte powered his team to the win with a brisk 32 off 20 balls (2x4, 2x6). None of the other batsmen crossed into double figures but 17 wides were gifted to the opponent.
In the first match of the tournament, the Conquerors were bowled out for 95 runs. Merlin Liburd from Nevis top scored for the Conquerors with 22 off 32 balls (4x4). The other main contributors were Lerry Baptiste with 17 off 30 balls (1x4), Sheldon Le Blanc with 13 off 14 balls (2x4) and Shameer Baux with 11 off eight balls (2x4). All those batsmen looked comfortable at the crease but were dismissed playing extravagant shots.
The main destroyer was Captain of NAGICO Romain Doodnauth with three for five in three overs.
NAGICO's reply to the below par total was well calculated with opening batsmen George Mars slamming 31 off 42 balls (1x4) and Anil Garib scoring 24 off 25 balls (4x4).
They posted 44 runs for the first wicket to give the eventual winners total control of the run chase. Moreland Le Blanc who is now playing for NAGICO after leaving CGC Spartanz scored freely for an unbeaten 30 off 30 balls (2x4, 1x6).
And even though NAGICO took 17 overs to get to the total, the response was to ensure that the team started off on a winning note.
At the presentation before the first match, Chairman of Cricket St. Maarten Imran Mc Sood Amjad gave brief remarks whereby he expressed his gratitude to Prime Distributors for their continued support of local cricket. Branch Manager of Prime Distributors Sunil Bulchandani handed over the sponsorship cheque to Cricket St. Maarten and stated that they are always willing to work with Cricket St. Maarten.
