Dover win Barbados Fire & Commercial Shield

The dovermen are barking like big, bad pit-bulls today.

Piton Dover, one of the most decorated teams in the Intermediate Division, added yet another title to their huge collection of silverware yesterday.

In a vastly one-sided Barbados Fire & Commercial Shield final at the Weymouth Sports Complex, Dover brushed aside the challenge of MTW by seven wickets before a big crowd.

We believe we are the best team in the lower divisions in Barbados and we intend to prove that. As you can see, we did it today, ecstatic Dover captain Vibert Greene said.

MTW, on their first appearance in a major final, never came to party.

In spite of the heavy early morning rain and generally overcast conditions at the start, MTW chose to bat first on winning the toss, but could only muster 123 from 36.2 overs.

I am a little disappointed with the way the game turned out, but I thought that Dover played the better cricket on the day, admitted MTW captain Geoffrey Padmore.

An afternoon shower when Dover were 56 for three in 12.3 overs reduced the target to 93 in 28 overs, but it made no difference to the outcome.

Dover, Intermediate winners between 1996 and 1999, were celebrating their second Fire Shield title before 4:45 p.m. They are also confident of adding the Premier League championship in a few weeks' time.

MTW were beaten from the time their batting disappointed. In previous matches, their gritty lower order was able to revive them, but that never materialised yesterday.

Only experienced opening batsman Glendon Johnson looked the part in making 48 off 89 balls that included two sixes of LeVere Kirton the first a hook and the second a remarkable drive over extra-cover.

MTW, however, were undermined by Litchfield Kirton's leg-breaks. He took three wickets without conceding a run in the space of six balls, and MTW, 54 for one after 16 overs, slipped to 54 for four and never recovered.

Some of the strokes were disappointing. Among them were Testa Baker's attempted big swing against Litchfield Kirton that resulted in a stumping and Denis Payne's attempt to clear long-on off the same bowler that was well short.

We expected a better fight from them, Greene said. But we bowled and fielded well and that's the performance they put in.

Almost everyone was surprised MTW opted to bat first, given the conditions, but captain Padmore did not reckon it was a gamble.

Our batsmen prefer batting up front. Everyone agreed and that was the basis of the decision, he said.

Dover were happy that their opponents wanted first use of the pitch.

If we had won the toss, we would have fielded, Greene said.

We could see that the wicket had in a bit of moisture. As it turned out, it was a good toss to lose.

Greene started MTW's worries by removing Anthony Burrowes from the day's third ball and was mean in his first overs with the new ball.

Litchfield Kirton replaced his captain and put the middle-order in check by claiming his three wickets for 13 runs in eight successive overs.

When he was finished, the quality of Dover's fielding also set back MTW.

Peter Clarke was the main man in the field, his slick work contributing to two run-outs, including the scalp of Johnson who was seventh out.

Clarke set Dover on the way to the target with a knock of 23 that included a six over extra-cover.

And after he became the third victim to impressive fast bowler Charles Ramsey, seasoned campaigners Wilbur Bruce (22) and Stephen Blackett (21) saw Dover home with an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 41 in 11.2 overs.