Barbados: BRC Takes Cricket Shield (21 Sep 1998)

21 September 1998

Barbados: BRC Takes Cricket Shield

by Haydn Gill

Six years of frustration were transformed into the euphoria of a first-ever title for one of the island's most consistent lower division teams - BRC - yesterday.

The club from Content, St. Thomas, has been to a Intermediate or Division 2 final or semifinal every year since their entry into Barbados Cricket Association competitions in 1993.

Yesterday they completely outplayed fellow first-time finalists Wotton to win the Barbados Fire & Commercial Shield final by the handsome margin of 65 runs.

In front of a packed crowd at Queen's Park, a first-time venue that produced an electrifying atmosphere, BRC compiled 193 for eight off 35 overs and then restricted their opponents to 128 for eight. (The BRC innings was cut short by five overs because of Wotton's slow over-rate.)

When it was all over, their captain and father-figure Arnold Gilkes summed up the satisfaction of the entire team.

"I'm very delighted. Most of the guys have played at a level higher than this, but they've not been successful for BRC," the former Barbados opening batsman said.

"It's also good to see a country team winning such a prestigious competition.

"I've always said that the team which was better mentally prepared would have won, and that is what we did."

BRC's success stemmed from their all-round play and three men must take most of the credit.

Victor Cyrus - a surprise weapon, according to Gilkes - was sent in to open as a pinch-hitter and responded by belting the ball with the type of power that American baseballers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa have done of late.

On a cool, overcast day, Cyrus indulged in some hurricane hitting, his whirlwind 88 coming from just 76 balls with eight fours and five sixes.

BRC, who after 20 overs were 127 for two, might have been hoping for a bigger total than their eventual 193. However, their two contrasting spinners, Anderson Small and Michael Small, eased any worries by virtually putting Wotton out of the match with 16 tight mid-innings overs that cost only 37 runs.

Small, bowling flat, fast off-breaks, went for 18 from his eight overs, while Campbell, a left-armer who flights the ball generously, even created more impact by collecting three wickets, including that of the dangerous Francis Hippolyte.

Hippolyte, a former Barbados youth team and Spartan Division 1 batsman, was playing with plenty of command and had reached 22 before launching into a drive off Campbell's fifth ball.

Once the catch was accepted at extra-cover, Wotton had lost their two most recognised batsmen - the first was Keith Seale, who had his off-stump knocked by an unplayable outswinger with the fifth ball of the innings from Delroy Walrond - and were under pressure to mount a recovery.

The first ten overs of Wotton's innings produced 54 runs, but with Small and Campbell on, the next ten brought only 18. By then, the outcome was obvious.

It was simply a joy to watch Cyrus on the go.

From time to time, he played a few agricultural shots, but the 34-year-old who regularly won Barbados Cricket League Player of the Week awards while representing Welches, repeatedly hoisted the ball out of the ground.

Clearly stronger on the on-side, where each of his sixes was struck, Cyrus dominated a second wicket stand of 85 with Trevor Howell to the extent that the latter's contribution was only 25.

There were three overs in particular when the ground was set ablaze. The 14th, from fast-medium bowler Rodney Rose cost 14; the next, from off-spinner Cedric Callender produced 20 including two sixes over long-on, and the 20th from Rose's cousin, Carson, yielded 14 including a four off the pads and a six over long-on off successive balls.

Cyrus seemed certain to complete his hundred, but affected by a bout of cramp which later kept him off the field at the start of the Wotton innings, he missed a swing against off-spinner Keith Seale and was bowled.

Seale stemmed the flow of runs in the latter half of the innings, but that made no difference to BRC. It was simply their day.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)