Barbados: Combermere Wins Cricket Thriller (6 Jul 1998)

6 July 1998

Combermere Wins Cricket Thriller

by Haydn Gill

Tante Mearle should have been watching yesterdays gripping CIBC Schools League cricket final.

Amidst unbearable tension, captain Randy Graham held his nerve, expertly found a gap between mid-off and extra-cover and scampered the two runs Combermere needed off the final ball to complete a memorable upset of Foundation.

Hearts around the BET Sports Complex would have been beating quickly when the final over started with Combermere needing seven runs to reach their seemingly modest target of 124 in 40 overs.

There was more drama when Jason Bennett was run out from the fourth ball with three required. Graham and Khalid Springer somehow got through for a leg-bye off the fifth ball and the captain then cooly guided Combermere to a record-equalling third title.

When the three-wicket win was completed, Graham, unbeaten 32 at the end, said he was never bothered in a tense, nerve-wracking stages.

"It feels really great to have finally won a gold," Graham, the brother of Barbados youth team captain Marlon, told NATIONSPORT.

"I was never worried. I knew it was going to be easy. I was more concerned about the remaining batsmen. Seven runs in six balls should be easy."

On reaching the winning runs against a team including nine players with Division 1 experience, Graham was carried off by field by a heavy-set spectator who had offered vocal support throughout the match. There were some who thought Graham, whose 32 came from 65 balls, and opener Dwayne Nurse, who made 36 from 105 balls, were too cautious in a fifth-wicket stand of 48 in 16.5 overs.

They allowed Kurt Wilkinson to serve up a few gentle half-volleys without ever trying to go after him and the leg-spinners figures of seven overs for 13 runs were somewhat flattering.

The left-handed Nurse and Graham came together at 42 for four after Ryan Paul had given Foundation some hope by claiming three wickets in an accurate eight-over spell that cost 17.

When Nurse provided Wilkinson with a return catch, 34 were needed from 11 overs Graham said he believed his side needed to consolidate at that stage.

To their credit, Foundation, first by way of Paul and then by off-spinner Ryan Austin, kept things tight.

Still, Foundation, who were sent in on a slow pitch, can only look back and reflect on a highly disappointing batting performance that was characterised by a series of cross-batted shots.

Both openers Quamy Miller and CARIFTA track and field gold medallist Kevin Bartlett had their stumps hit with the score still in single-digits, and Wilkinson, Foundations leading batsman, gifted his wicket with an attempted pull that Graham caught on the second attempt at mid-on.

After slipping to 48 for five in the 18th over, little left-hander Dion Lovell (37) and Jedson Yarde (20) staged a fightback by adding 40 in 14 overs before both went in the final over from fast bowler Jason Bennett.

Bennett, who ended with four for 23, had Wilkinson caught by the keeper and bowled Yarde, another victim of a cross-batted shot.

He was well supported by off-spinner Rohan Nurse, who gave away just 13 runs from eight overs.

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