CHILL MAGAZINE

 

The world’s best gymnasts are not the only ones who can score an elusive “perfect 10”.

 

Cricketers at the Cave Hill Campus completed the amazing feat of playing unbeaten throughout ten matches to lift the Sagicor General Super Cup at 3Ws Oval last November seizing the limited-overs championship now sponsored by the same company that underwrites the University of the West Indies (UWI) team. Also interestingly, UWI was captained by former Carlton skipper, Shirley Clarke.

 

Chasing 234 for victory versus an experienced Carib Carlton line-up, Sagicor UWI romped to a four-wicket triumph, with ten balls to spare, in the day/night encounter. It was a team performance, but most fans had eyes only for exciting 20-year-old, right-hander Nekoli Parris and 35-year-old left-hander Floyd Reifer who spearheaded the run charge.

 

It was the first time ever in the 33-year history of the 50-overs-a-side competition that any team had won all ten matches in a 16-team event. Even more astounding, it was just UWI’s second season in the tournament. The gutsy team successfully negotiated their way through seven round-robin matches to reach the knockout quarter-finals before progressing to the semi-finals and then the floodlit finale.

 

Carlton were contesting their sixth final, having won once in 1989.

 

Veteran Barbados batsman, Reifer cut and pulled his way to a dazzling unbeaten 78 (83 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) while the elegant Parris stroked a sparkling 93 (137 balls, 8 fours) that earned him Man-of-the-Match plaudits. The pair added 150 for the third wicket in 25.3 overs before Parris was run out.

 

“I was really up for this. I was in fighting mode and all the guys gave 100 per cent,” said an upbeat Reifer, after the outcome was sealed.

 

Carlton’s steady but hardly threatening attack posed few problems for UWI and the rout was more emphatic than the margin indicated with a few wickets tumbling after Parris perished. The result left Carlton still searching for their first piece of silverware in almost 20 years, having last tasted success in 1989.

 

In Carlton’s innings, opener Dale Richards again failed to carry on after a good start, falling for 60 (68 balls, 10 fours). Thereafter, the middle order flattered to deceive. Only wicket-keeper/batsman Carlo Morris offered any resistance, posting 61 not out off 78 balls with two sixes and one four. However, it was much too late and a target of 234 was never going to challenge a UWI team with depth in its batting.

 

Summarised scores:

Carlton: 233-6 in 50 overs

Carlo Morris 61 not out, Dale Richards 60, Vonrick Nurse 27, Kurt Wilkinson 23, Kirk Gibson 18, Nikolai Charles 17 not out, Marlon Graham 16; Liam Sebastien 2-26, Jason Bennett 2-42.

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UWI/Sagicor: 234-6 in 48.2 overs
Nekoli Parris 93, Floyd Reifer 78 not out, Omar Phillips 30. Man-of-the-Match: Nekoli Parris.

 

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