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By Samuel Peters
Antigua and Barbuda’s Cricket Powerhouses, Liberta Blackhawks and Empire Nation collected pivotal points in the Antigua and Barbuda T20 Premier League with victories on Monday at Pigotts.
The first encounter saw Liberta Blackhawks hand defeat the Pigotts Crushers by 64 runs, after being put in to bat. They amassed an imposing 186 for five from their 20 overs, with Tarek Charles slamming 52 from 34 balls which included five sixes, while Deran Benta stroked 45 runs off 30 balls. In reply, the Crushers were restricted to just 122 for nine, as Hayden Walsh Jr claimed four wickets to lead a disciplined bowling attack.
Chasing 187 for victory, the Crushers’ innings never gained momentum. Captain Kadeem Henry was dismissed early for 15, and despite Uri Smith (27) and Amahl Nathaniel (36) putting together a promising partnership, regular wickets prevented any substantial recovery.
Walsh Jr was the standout bowler, claiming four for 19 from his four overs with a series of well-disguised variations that consistently troubled the Crushers’ batsmen. Captain Rahkeem Cornwall supported well with two for 18, while Benta added to his batting contributions with two for five from his single over.
Brandon Jn Baptiste offered some late resistance with 22 runs, but it was too little too late as the Crushers were dismissed for 122 runs, giving Blackhawks the victory.
In the afternoon fixture, Empire Nation secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over All Saints Pythons. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Pythons were restricted to a modest 111 for nine in their allotted 20 overs, despite a solid 37 from Michael Haynes Dover, who became the first batter to score a century in the new tournament. Sean Joseph Jr who stroked a painstaking 25 from 45 balls which held the innings together. In response, Empire Nation reached their target with eight balls to spare, powered by unbeaten knocks from JQuan Athanaze 38 and Melvin Charles 31.
Captain Justin Athanaze was the architect of the Pythons collapse, finishing with outstanding figures of four for 19 from his four overs, including a hattrick of maiden wickets. His victims included Demetri Lucas, Kenrick Scott, Kenny Sutton, and Akeem Blackman, effectively dismantling the Pythons’ middle order.
Taiem Tonge provided some resistance with 15, but regular wickets continued to fall as the Pythons struggled to build partnerships. Ajharie Joseph (1/15) and Damian Lowenfield (1/10) provided excellent support to Athanaze’s devastating spell.
Chasing 112 for victory, Empire Nation suffered early setbacks, losing both openers Tyrone Williams Jr (12) and Tanez Francis (5) to find themselves at 22 for two. Kadeem Josiah struck twice for the Pythons, removing Williams Jr and George Elvin (4) to give his team hope.
However, Charles stood firm, accumulating runs steadily as he anchored the innings. When Lowenfield fell to Shaquan Reifer with the score at 45 for four, the match was still in the balance.
Athanaze joined Charles at the crease, and the pair combined for an unbroken 69-run partnership that sealed the victory for Empire Nation. Charles finished with an unbeaten 31, while Athanaze contributed 38 not out, their sensible batting ensuring there were no further alarms in the run chase.
On Saturday, Empire Nation will meet the Jennings Tigers who are the only team without a win while the top two teams, Blackhawks and New Winthorpes Lions will battle in the second match scheduled for the afternoon. Then, on Sunday, the Blackhawks will be back at home against neighbors All Saints Pythons for the first match before Lions take on Nation at the same venue. The final preliminary match will be played at Pigotts when the home side will host the Tigers.
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