Summarised scores:
Gros Islet U19 – 130 all out (25.1overs)
Mon Repos U19- 68 all out (23overs)
Result: Gros Islet U19 won by 62 runs
GROS ISLET Cannon Blasters beat Mon Repos convincingly in a low-scoring encounter to claim the 2024 Sandals /SLNCA Under-19 Cricket Tournament Championship title.
The northern-based team added another notch to its impressive tally of championship titles in the 50 overs per side youth competition.
On Wednesday (May 1), the teams met at the La Ressource Playing Field for the ultimate showdown and championship title clash.
Gros Islet batted first and put up a total of 130 all out in 25.1 overs. It was not great going for the northern lads who had been quite dominant in the competition hitting scores of 250 + as the season progressed.
At the completion of the 11th over, Gros Islet were tottering at 5/50 (11.2) and it took a huge effort from middle order batters Isaiah Jones 29 from 29 balls (4×4) and Lee John 27 from 26 (2×4, 2×6) to help bring some level of respectability to the final score.
John was the first to be dismissed with the score at 6/108 (18.4) and Jones followed next with the score perched at 7/112 (20.1) before the latter batters contributed the additional runs.
While Mon Repos frontline bowlers snared early wickets and rounded off the tail, they conceded an unfavourable 33 extras in the process. Hervon Jn Charles was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/20 (5), while Cody Fontenelle grabbed 2/38 (7.1) and David Naitram 2/11 (5).
Mon Repos is no ‘tame cat’ and the eastern coast district is well-known for its cricketing exploits. The community boasts one of the more competitive cricket competitions and programmes in the country and has produced players stemming from the junior level into the youth and senior district leagues and on to the national teams.
But, it was not Mon Repos’ day and they faltered rather haplessly at the location, which more than likely can be considered close to their home ground.
Replying with a meagre total of 68 all out (23), Cody Fontenelle was the top scorer with 23 off 57 (3×4), while Maquain Estephane hit 14 off 16 (3×4).
Gros Islet’s top bowler was Darvin Forde with 3/10 (4 overs), while Bjorn Fanis took 2/17 (6), Leon Alexander 2/7 (2) and John was again in the swing of things as he grabbed 2/18 (5).
R.A.