Bright Start to Barbados Cricket Association's 2024 T20 Season with Thrilling Wins and Stellar Performances

Defending champions Superb Blend Gladiola suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of Yorkshire, but last year’s losing finalists Bayview Hospital YMPC scored an impressive one-sided win over St Catherine, as the Barbados Cricket Association’s 2024 T20 Cup season got underway on Sunday.

Pacer Garry Austin delivered a crippling spell of five wickets for 23 runs from four overs to send St Catherine toppling in just 15 overs to 74 all out in reply to YMPC’s mammoth 202 for eight after they elected to bat.

Thunderous half centuries from opener Raymond Kellman (69) and Kemar Smith (52 not out) propelled the home team, the former facing 34 balls and counting 10 threes and 8 fours, and the latter four threes and five fours from 33 balls. (Boundaries are threes and fours at Beckles Road)

Gladiola, playing at their home ground at Rices, flopped to 129 all out before Yorkshire cruised to 130 for five to win with two overs to spare.

Sagicor Windward’s player/coach, Jafari Toppin was the other top performer of the opening series, striking the only century of the day, an unbeaten 107 to lead his side to an 87-run win over Lords.

Toppin faced 50 balls and struck eight fours and half a dozen sixes in a total of 221-4, to which Lords responded with 134-7.

Newcomers BDF overpowered BCA Youth by six runs, Empire got home by 16 runs against UWI, while Maple and Wanderers registered six wicket wins over Carlton and Isolation Cavaliers respectively.

In other results Wildey defeated Police and ESAF Pickwick was victorious over Spartan.

(GH)

Zone A

Superb Blend Gladiola 129 (20 ov) (R. Clarke 48; R. Persaud 3-9, S. Pinder 2-11) Yorkshire 130/5 (18 ov) R. Williams 35; G. Depeiza 2-10, M. Jones 2-14) Yorkshire won by five wickets.

BDF 150/7 (20 ov) (A. Greenidge 42; A. McCollin 2-2, J. Pollard 2-30, Z. Carter 2-30) BCA Youth 144/8 (20 ov) M. Greenidge 48; T. Bedford 2-23) BDF won by six runs.

Empire 213/3 (20 ov) Shian Brathwaite 76 n. o, Kevin Stoute 65, H. Perryman 32; M. Forde 2-26) UWI 197/5 (20 ov) (Amari Goodridge 60 n. o, Kyle Corbin 51, S. Parris 46; S. Marshall 2-21, N. Sealy 2-24) Empire won by 16 runs.

Zone B

Bayview Hospital YMPC 208/2 (20 ov) (Raymond Kellman 69, Kemar Smith 52 n. o, D. Smith 35) St. Catherine 74 (15 ov) (Garry Austin 5-23, S. Marshall 2-5, M. Marshall 2-21) YMPC won by 134 runs.

Sagicor Windward 221 (20 ov) (Jafari Toppin 107 n. o., Tennyson Roach Jr. 52; A. Holligan 2-38) Lords 134/7 in 20 overs (E. Oneale 43; R. O’Neal 2-13) Windward won by 87 runs.

Carlton 112/7 (20 ov) (J. Marshall 4-13) Maple 115/4 (19 ov) (M. Rawlins 44 n. o; M. Welcome-Goodman 2-27) Maple won by six wickets.

Zone C