CUL DE SAC--The Golden Stars cricketers outshone Simple players to create a massive upset in the ongoing Masters Windball tournament at the Caribe Lumber Ballpark on Sunday.
The Golden Stars (3-0)entered the match at the bottom of the table in the 11-team tournament while Simple (3-1) was tied for third place with 758B Boys.
Simple batted first and chalked up an imposing 196 for seven in the allotted 15 overs but Golden Stars successfully overhauled the total with nine balls to spare.
For the winners, some ferocious ball hitting from Shanil Samaroo, Tony Boudhra and Captain Vishnauth Goberdan left Simple without answers. Samaroo blasted 65 (2x4, 8x6) while Boudhra with 45 (3x4, 5x6) and Goberdan with 43 not out (1x4, 6x6) were all equally destructive in breaking down the total. In the end, Jojo with 25 (4x6) also helped his team across the line with the Captain at the other end.
In route to the victory, Golden Stars was momentarily halted when Captain of Simple, Leroy Muesa removed Samaroo and Boudhra in the same over, but the Captain and Jojo ensured the ball kept going over the ropes regularly through some clean hitting.
When Simple batted Sherwyn Parris was the top scorer with an explosive 65 (3x4, 7x6). There were also solid contributions from Navin Chinapen with 38 not out (2x4, 4x6) and Eldine Beaton with 35 (5x6).
In the first match on Sunday, Spartans defeated GT Boyz by three wickets. GT Boyz folded meekly for just 119 all out in 13.4 overs. Romel Haynes rolled back the years of his wind ball batting with a top score of 31 (4x6). The other batsmen in double figures were Chetram Ram with 21 (2x60 and Gregorio Ritchie with 19 (3x4). Spartans which are at the top of the table stumbled towards the small total but won with nine balls to spare.
The main scorers for Spartans were Alvin Chris Le Blanc with 25 (1x4, 2x6), Sherwin Peters with 20 (3x6) and Daryl Doram with 19 (2x4, 1x6).
In the featured match on Sunday, Super Kings made light work of 758B Boys to win by eight wickets. 758B which is mainly a second-string team among St. Lucia cricketers scored 99 all out with 28 balls to spare. Apart from Arnold Jn Baptiste with an entertaining 35 (2x4, 4x6) late in the innings, the St. Lucian fans would had been even more embarrassed with the team that they support so passionately.
For Super Kings, Trevor Ritchie rode his luck from the first ball when he was dropped, to lead the way with 29 not out (3x4, 3x6). Russell Toulon and Dillon Baptiste with 20 apiece to secure the win.
Every Sunday, there are three matches and a festive party atmosphere to compliment the cricket. The three matches on September 1 are Top Dogs against High Grade from 11:00am, GT Boyz take on Golden Stars from 1:30pm and Super Kings face up to 758A Boys from 3:00pm.
