Crackling start to final

If many thought last year's stalemates between northern neighbours Alexandra and Coleridge and Parry lacked excitement, the same could not be said of yesterday's opening day of the Cable & Wireless Under-15 cricket final.

The joint defending champions combined to produce three absorbing sessions in which both sides had their fair share of dominance at the BET Sports Club.

Alexandra were in complete control over the first two periods, posting 146 for two on the strength of a third-wicket century stand between Barrington Yearwood Jr. and Ramon Goodman.

After tea, never-say-die Coleridge and Parry turned to the improving off-spin of their former wicket-keeper Shane Ramsey.

He removed the two key batsmen in his first two overs after the break and took a further three wickets to complete a dramatic collapse in which the last eight wickets fell for 58.

Alexandra coach Peter Vaughan said the score was 'pretty good', but he was especially disappointed with the way Yearwood and Goodman gifted their wickets after the total reached 157 for two.

'After getting in and batting so well, I was really annoyed with the way both of them got out,' he said. 'They were loose balls and they just gave away their hand.

'We had planned to bat for a day-and-a-half, and if possible, two days, but none of the batsmen who followed applied themselves. They just gave away their hands to some bad bowling.'

Ramsey, who started trundling off-breaks in the latter half of the season, finished with five for 33 from nine successive overs.

'When we want to break a partnership, Shane is the type of bowler we use,' said Coleridge and Parry coach Dennis Springer.

'He throws the first ball into the air. Sometimes it's a full-toss, sometimes it's a long-hop. The batsmen open their eyes wide and you find that he gets wickets.'

Ramsey's first scalp was taken with his fifth ball which Yearwood miscued and skied to backward square.

The wicket ended an enterprising innings that contained five sweet boundaries in just under two-and-a-half hours' batting when the lefthander added 126 with Goodman.

Goodman, who looked especially impressive when using his feet to the spinners, followed in Ramsey's second over.

He, too, fell to a ball of little merit: a long-hop which he hit down the throat of short extra-cover after making 53.

Coleridge and Parry might have sensed that those two wickets were crucial since Yearwood (289 runs, 42 wickets) and Goodman (256 runs, 28 wickets) were Alexandra's leading all-round players in the preliminaries in which they won six of seven matches.

Alexandra captain Kirk Broomes looked the part during his 21, but those from No. 6 down were disappointing, to say the least.

Take as an example Marvin Mondoe, who was bowled between bat and pad to give fast bowler Derwin Worrell one of his three wickets.

Carlos Stansford tried to hit Shane Ramsey over the top. The ball went very high and Ramsey's twin brother, Shawn, took an excellent catch after covering a lot of ground to clutch the swirling ball.

The catch was one of three outstanding pieces of work in the outfield by Coleridge and Parry.

The first was a throw of pinpoint accuracy from Derwin Worrell at backward square to effect the run-out of opener Neval Grazettes.

The second was a tumbling catch by wicket-keeper Joel Leacock that brought about the downfall of Grazettes' opening partner Omari Eastmond.

It left Alexandra 31 for two, at which point Yearwood and Goodman came together for their fine display.