CUL DE SAC-- In front of an extraordinarily huge crowd, the local team General Auto Repairs (GAR) Spartans outclassed the Anguilla Tigers to lift the championship trophy and top prize money in the Adam Sanford Cricekt4Life Twenty20 tourney at the Caribe Lumber Ballpark on Sunday.
Anguilla posted 171 to which the Spartans responded commandingly, eventually winning by eight wickets. Daron Cruickshank who is from Trinidad guided the team with some calculated stroke play to top score with an unbeaten 56 off 33 balls (2x4, 5x6).
Christopher Barnwell from Guyana also played well for 45 off 24 balls (1x4, 5x6). The two players added 90 for the third wicket after Sherwin Peters retired hurt on 23 off 22 balls (4x4). Earlier, Keacy Carty scored 18 off 25 balls (2x4).
The Cruickshank and Barnwell partnership paced the inning well to keep their team in the run chase. None of the Anguilla bowlers were spared in the onslaught and to add insult to injury, the local crowd, in its celebration, drowned out the Anguilla supporters.
Akeem Charles, who has had his struggles in the tournament, peaked at the right time with two sixes and a four to hasten the win with a rapid 19 off just seven balls.
Anguilla's total was built around Jahmar Hamilton with 54 off 38 balls (2x4, 4x6) and Montcin Hodge with 39 off 32 balls (3x4, 2x6). Opener Chesney Hughes started swiftly with 34 off 22 balls (1x4, 4x6) and then Captain Terry Adams ended with a bang with 25 off 15 balls (1x4, 2x6).
The best bowler for Spartans was Barnwell with four for 12 off four overs. Captain Kenroy David bowled stingily for figures of three for 25 off three overs.
At half time, Anguilla had a respectable total and had the opposition at 55 for one off 8.2 overs until the Cruickshank/Barnwell master class.
To reach the final, the Spartans defeated the Adam Sanford All Stars by 60 runs. Barnwell blasted 109 off 50 balls with five stylish fours and 10 massive sixes. The Spartans compiled a mammoth 215 for five in 20 overs.
The highlight of the response was a sharp one-handed catch by Carty at backward point to dismiss former West Indies player Dwayne Smith for 18 off 11 balls (2x4, 1x6) and an acrobatic diving catch by Charles at short fine leg to dismiss former West Indies Shivnarine Chanderpaul for eight off 15 balls (1x4). The dismissal of two star players sent the run chase into disarray.
The Spartans is a locally based team who made sure that the lion share of the monetary awards stayed on St. Maarten. The team received the top cash prize of US$8000.00 while Anguilla Tigers collected US$2000.00 for second place.
