History was made on Sunday night at the Gros Islet Playing Field as the SAIL Gros Islet Knights ran away with the Saint Lucia Premier League title, defeating SCCA South Castries Lions by 110 runs. The home team lashed a whopping 19 sixes in a total of 247-5, behind Jard Goodman’s commanding 95.
The Lions won the toss and elected to field, minus their best bowler this season, Larry Edward. Gros Islet responded by sending Noelle Leo to open the batting with Goodman, leaving talisman Kimani Melius to come in at the fall of the first wicket. But that first wicket did not fall until the opening pair had hit 81 in 8.3 overs. Leo fell for 42 from 34 balls, with six fours and two sixes. At that point, Goodman had already smacked 35 runs off 17.
Melius, the tournament’s top run-scorer, hit a four off the first delivery he faced. By the halfway stage, the Knights were well poised to accelerate at 99-1.
In the 11th over, however, two sixes from Melius and one from Goodman took the score to 122-1. Goodman completed his half-century in the 12th over with a six. By the middle of the 14th over, Melius had joined him, hitting four towering sixes in that six-ball span. Goodman passed him again in the 15th over, with two fours and a six.
By the time the Lions had seen the back of Melius for 63 off 24 balls (6 sixes, 5 fours), at the beginning of the 16th over, the score was 188-2. But Goodman and Tarrique Edward continued to deal in boundaries. Edward fell for 14 off 10 balls, and Goodman finally perished two deliveries later, having faced only 44 balls, hitting 10 fours and seven sixes.
Tyrel Chicot and Lee John each hit sixes to take Gros Islet to their final tally. Kester Charlemagne took 2-44 and Xavier Gabriel 2-45, whilst Zinakki Louis had none for 37.
From Chicot’s first over, the Lions’ chase went awry. Tarrique Edward ran out Kensley Paul, and Malcolm Monrose was caught, both for ducks. Kester Charlemagne hit a four and a six, but his team were already 11-2. The first ball of the second over left them 11-3, as Darvin Forde removed Botlon Sayers.
Charlemagne and Xavier Gabriel stuck about, but they were unable to get much from the bowling of Edward and John. With the asking rate climbing steadily, Charlemagne succumbed on 49 from 33 balls, inclusive of five fours and three sixes. The Lions were then 88-4 from 10 overs.
By the 12th over, it was 108-5, with Gabriel gone for 46 off 25 balls, Corlinus Callender 10 from nine and Wendell Inglis and Zinakki Louis off successive balls, for one and nought.
They slipped further to 115-8 before being all out for 137 in 17.2 overs as Darvin Forde, with a brave 15 off 13, and Marlon O’Brian, unbeaten on nine from 10, held out for a short while.
Tarrique Edwad, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, took 1-24. Tyrel Chicot took a remarkable 3-28. Darvin Forde 2-28 and Royce Paul 2-27, each bowling three overs. Lee John took the final wicket, giving up 30 runs in 3.2 overs.
