CUL DE SAC--The Methodist Agogic Centre Comprehensive Secondary Education (MAC CSE) cricketers scripted a magnificent come-from-behind win to walk away with the championship trophy of the Inter-secondary School Cricket Tournament at Caribe Lumber Ballpark on Friday afternoon.
MAC CSE started off the tournament by losing to St. Maarten Academy and St. Maarten Academy-PSVE. Against St. Maarten Academy, MAC High scored a lowly eight runs in response to St. Maarten Academy’s mammoth score of 174. By the end of the second day of the tournament, MAC CSE was labelled the underdogs team and St. Maarten Academy, the top dogs.
On Friday afternoon though, MAC CSE stunned St. Maarten Academy with telling eight wicket win. The winners responded sensibly to 67 posted by Academy. Michael Palmer who was allowed by the opposition to play for the winners hit a match-winning 46 not out (6x6, 2x4) while Captain Rahkeem Atkinson was also not out on 10 (2x4). The win brought out wild celebrations from the champions.
When Academy batted, Iassie Gabriel Clay who already scored a century earlier in the tournament started off shakily and was even dropped before he hit his first boundary. He went on to slam three sixes, much to the delight of a 7-member cheerleading school girls, who screamed and shouted in support for every boundary that was hit. Clay was finally out for an uncharacteristic 21. The next batman in double figures was Chandrapaul Murarilal with 12 (2x6).
The best bowler for the winner was Samuel Morton with two for one in one over.
On course to winning the championship trophy, MAC High lost twice to St. Maarten Academy in the preliminary round. The school champions defeated PSVE twice, but lost once to them in the preliminary round. It was a truly a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the champions.
At the presentation which was graced by the presence of Nathaniel Walter, who is the Vice-President of Cricket St. Maarten and Leeward Islands Cricket Board, Clay was given the MVP and the Most Runs trophies. Morton was the best bowler of the tournament with five wickets.
Cricket St. Maarten thanks the three secondary schools in St. Maarten, Academy, MAC CSE and St. Maarten Academy-PSVE for their participation in the tournament and for the outstanding behaviour of the players throughout the tournament. Cricket St. Maarten plans to organize another Inter-Secondary School Cricket tournament for the first week in December this year.
