St. Johns, Antigua - The Antigua and Barbuda cricket team continued their dominance of the NAGICO one day series when they got the better of Anguilla in a close contest on Sunday 3rd October at the Caribe Lumber Ball Park in St.Maarten.

In front of a capacity crowd mainly filled with boatloads of Anguillans who specifically came over to St.Maarten ‘to take back the trophy by boat’, the Antigua/Barbuda team was the team that held their nerves when 9 runs were required from the final over.  From a logical standpoint, Anguilla had the advantage, with Omari Banks in commanding touch. It appeared as if the Anguillan boater who had offered the Anguilla team a free boat ride to and from St.Maarten, had made good his investment. 

However, CRICKET is a game that defies all logic.  Captain Wilden Cornwall handed the ball to the ever energized Anthony Martin who had bowled superbly all afternoon and carefully set his field.  The crowd waited with bated breaths.  Martin bravely floated a leg spinner, pitching just about middle stump and Banks attempted the slog sweep. The ball left him and disturbed his off stump.  A jubilant Martin ran all the way towards the main section of the Anguillan crowd and posed for the camera. However, there was still hope but Yannick Leonard with his first ball from Martin made an awful attempt at a reverse sweep—wrong pick—struck in front. 

The Antiguans were humming. A scrambled three runs from the next ball may have raised some hopes again. Three ball remaining and six runs required. The fourth ball was hit down the ground for 1. Two balls remaining and five runs to get.  The batsman essayed a sweep at ball five and scrambled another run which meant that there was one ball to go and four runs to get.

Martin floated the final delivery. The batsman had a huge heave to leg and the ball spooned off the pad and they scrambled a run.  The Anguillans were stunned into silence; the jubilant Antiguans and their fans ran all over the ground, as expected led by a pumped up Anthony Martin.  Antigua had made it seven out of eight wins and by virtue of winning the trophy for three consecutive years will now have this particular trophy for keeps.

Summarized scores: Antigua and Barbuda: 212 for 9 in 39 overs. Wilden Cornwall 49; Shane Burton 39; Gavin Williams 25; Raheem Cornwall 24Omari Banks 3 wickets; Chesney Hughes 2 and the two Lakes-1 wicket each.Anguilla: 210 for 9-Omari Banks 79; Montcin Hodge 72; L. Richardson 26
Anthony Martin 5 for 29; Wilden Cornwall 3

The entire weekend however was filled with exciting matches with the semi finals commencing on Friday 1st October. with Nevis engaging Antigua and Barbuda. Nevis won the toss and batted and was off to a slow, stuttering start with an ultra aggressive Kieran Powell top edging over the wicketkeeper’s head from a first ball snorter from Gavin Tonge. It fortunately landed safely.  The very first ball of the next over bowled by Justin Athanze, Powell came down the track and blazed a ball just to the right of the athletic Athanze who got a hand to it but could not hold on.  Carlon Smithen then lifted Tonge for four and followed up with a flat six over extra cover, only to edge the very next delivery to Mentore.

This brought in Javia Liburd and the first shot he played must have sounded an ominous note to his opponents.  It was only a defensive shot but it came smack out of the middle and there was an air of authority about it.  The next over he faced from Tonge, he literally took him to the cleaners:  A first ball flick backward of square was an absolute gem; second ball short and wide, put away backward of point for another four; Tonge made the error to dig in short and was thumped unceremoniously over midwicket for another four; the fourth ball was guided with some degree of finesse through third man for four and one spectator shouted from the stands: “Have some respect for the West Indies pacer”!

The fifth ball was steered to point for a welcome dot for Tonge but the sixth was effortlessly heaved over point for another boundary with an extravagant bend of the knee.  Tonge was hid until the latter overs.
Powell by this time had settled nicely and by this time was playing a few shots of his own.  However, after the two parted, the innings went into decline, as was the case in the previous matches.  Nevis eventually bowled out for 201.

The Antiguans started towards the victory target with some degree of arrogance.  The exciting stodgy left hander Kadeem Phillip, carted Tonito Willet around the Park for 19 runs from an over before he was run out. However, Akito Willet and Jason Campbell settled into a wonderful spell of spin bowling that not only halted the free scoring but also brought some crucial wickets as well.

When Justin Athanze was run out, the score was 181 for 8 and with Tonge coming in to partner Devon Thomas, Nevis had more than a real chance to complete the victory.  To his credit, Tonge played straight and sensibly, while Devon Thomas took most of the strike and the runs slowly but surely were accumulated.

Thomas finished it off with an emphatic heave over long off with the umpire signaling six, even though it landed at least a foot inside the rope –but that was not important.  Nevis was on the way home.
Summarized scores: Nevis 201 all out: Javia Liburd 91; Kieran Powell 38; Jason Campbell 21 and Carlon Smithen 18

Justin Athanze 3 for 42; Raheem Cornwall 2 for 31; Kadeem Phillip 1 for 21
Antigua/Barbuda: 207 for 8 in 32 overs—Raheem Cornwall 41; Kadeem Phillip 25; Devon Thomas 28*; Justin Athanze 24 and Kerry Mentore 24

Akito Willet 2 for 18; Jason Campbell 2 for 36; Adelvin Phillip 2 for 43 and Trevier Smithen 1 for 32.
The next semi final on Saturday 2nd October was a nail biter between Anguilla and St.Maarten.
Anguilla needed 6 runs from the final over being bowled by Daren Sammy and squeezed the final runs from the penultimate delivery!

Summarized scores: St. Maarten 226 all out in 43 overs: Maxford Pipe 43; Daren Sammy 41; John Eugene 38 and Romel Ritchens 30

Kelbert Walters 2 for 58; Omari Banks 3 for 29; Chesney Hughes 2 for 13 and Yannick Leonard 1 for 37
Anguilla 227 for 8 in 42.5 overs—winning by 5 wickets with 1 ball to spare
Montcin Hodge 74*; Chesney Hughes 74; Omari Banks 42 and Chaka Hodge 22
Colin Hamer 2 for 43; Maxford Pipe 1 for 33

Immediately after the final match on Sunday, the presentation ceremony was held.  Included among the dignitaries present were: Derrick Nicholas—Secretary of LICA; Calbert Gibson-Vice President LICA; Mike Tichiera –President St.Maarten Cricket Association;  Imran Masood—NAGICO chairman and CEO; Eric Elis-Executive Director NAGICO; Commissioner France Richardson-Commissioner responsible for Sports and Tourism in St.Maarten and Mr. Glenville Tuit-Chief Financial Officer-NAGICO.

After some very impressive speeches by some of the dignitaries the following awards were distributed:
• Man of the finals with 5 for 29—Anthony Martin
• Batsman with the most runs—Omari Banks—259 (Closet rivals-Chesney Hughes with 248 and Montcin Hodge with 249)
• Bowler with the most wickets-Anthony Martin -11 (closest rival Justin Athanze with 10)
• Man of the series with 259 runs and 6 wickets –Omari Banks (His closest rival was Anthony Martin with 11 wickets in the series)
• Runner up team –Anguilla --$5,000.00 EC
• Champion team –Antigua--$10,000.00 and the coveted grand trophy