Patience Hill stay perfect, surge into Tobago T10 Windball semis

Patience Hill Mumbai continued their perfect run in the Tobago T10 Windball Cricket Championship on October 5 when they stormed into the semifinals with a commanding 79-run victory over Buccoo United at Parade Grounds in Bacolet, Tobago.

Having won all five of their preliminary matches, Patience Hill went into the quarterfinal clash with great form. The form of Patience Hill’s top order was certainly on full display as the top three batsmen all had meaningful contributions to push their team to an insurmountable score of 160 for nine. Opening batsman Ancil Nedd made a breezy 25 off 11 balls to get his team off to a brisk start, but Patience Hill really set themselves apart with their second-wicket stand when opener Daveon Shangie (78 off 25) and former TT under-19 captain Olando James (45 off 14) put on a crucial 91 runs.

Shangie lost partners regularly after James’ dismissal in the seventh over, but he hit five fours and eight sixes in a dominant innings before he was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings by Khislon Dillon. Rodney Alfred led Buccoo with brilliant figures of four for nine and even snared a hat-trick in the ninth over.

In reply, opening batsmen Leron Lezama (24 off 16) and Nicholas Smart (15) got starts for Buccoo, but they were never able to threaten the daunting 161-run target as their team was reduced to 81 for seven from their ten overs. Elton Cruickshank led the Patience Hill attack with three for 18, with Alana Smith grabbing two for 14.

Group B winners Kabs Solutions Roxborough Gunners also scored heavily in their quarterfinal clash as they scored 133 for three before reducing Betsys Hope Scrape up to just 62 for nine. Batting first, Gunners skipper and opener Jahron Alfred set the tone with eight sixes in a 22-ball innings of 61, with Ako George making 34 off 25.

Apart from an innings of 28 from number six batsman Grell McPherson, Betsys Hope had little to offer with the bat as the Gunners attack was brilliantly led by the pair of Afiba McKenna (three for four) and Kwani Thomas (two fro six).

In the other quarterfinal matches, holders Jade Monkey Belle Garden Cuzins were anchored by opener Shane Ali (46 not out off 25) as they defeated Main Ridge Challengers by five wickets, with Goodwood Knight Riders defending a modest score of 95 as Kieshawn Dillon had a fantastic spell of three for 11 to help bowl his team to a 12-run victory over Mason Hall Challengers.

Earlier, Keron McPherson bailed out a struggling Goodwood batting display with an unbeaten 57 to take his team from 55 for seven to 95 for eight. McPherson then returned with the ball to grab two for 13 as Goodwood restricted Mason Hall to 83 for nine.