The Sint Maarten Select XI defeated the Saint Lucia High Performance Centre (HPC) by four wickets in a thrilling opening T20 match on Wednesday. The fixture was the first of five matches the Saint Lucians are scheduled to play over six days at Carib Lumber Ball Park in Philipsburg.
Leaning on a pair of veteran batsmen, the home team was just able to overhaul the tourists’ total of 119. Akeem Charles top-scored with 40 from 31 balls, opener Kenroy David made 21 from 20, and Amarius Harris a run-a-ball 21. Charles and David have played cricket at the senior level in the Leeward Islands for over a decade.
The game truly came down to the death, as Sint Maarten needed 20 runs to win, with six balls remaining. Bowling the final over, Tarrique Edward gave up a single, then took a wicket within his first two balls. His third ball went for another single, and the fourth should have been a second wicket, but a dropped catch instead allowed two runs.
With seven runs needed off two balls, Charles hit a six to level the scores and scrambled a single off the final delivery to win the piece for his team.
Jaden Elibox finished with 2-5, Tarrique Edward 2-39, and Dornan Edward 1-17.
Cohort 2 of the HPC lasted 19.4 overs, compiling a total of 119 all out. They were in early trouble at 15-2 in the third over, but Tarrique Edward and Stephen Abraham took the score to 62 in the 10th over, before Rudesh Ramraj dislodged Abraham’s bails for 30. Tarrique Edward and Dornan Edward added 22 before Dornan was dispatched in the 15th over.
Mrinal Wadhwa started the 18th over having already delivered 12 legal balls, giving up 18 runs and taking no wickets. In the 18th, however, he captured the dangerman, Edward, caught in the deep for 32 from 42 balls. Wadhwa then had Shawnil Edward caught behind for nought two balls later. The Sint Maarten star put the icing on the cake with two wickets in the final over, Royce Paul and Sky Lafeuille.
Tyrel Chicot added 17 runs from 10 balls, whilst Wadhwa took 4-28, and Isrel Morton 2-27 for the hosts.
The HPC will seek to come better in the second T20 on Thursday. They play two 50-over games, on Saturday and Sunday, before contesting the third and final T20 on Monday.
