Jamaican Association's hopes of triple dashed
High-flying Jamaican Association's hopes of lifting all three major Commercial Cricket League titles were dashed when they crashed out of the Twenty20 League Cup to BC Allrounders in a playoff.
BC Allrounders squeezed home with one ball and two wickets to spare as the Jamaicans paid the price for playing one short in a game that produced more than 280 runs, despite the long grass at Garrison Field
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Hamilton Parish yesterday ended weeks of speculation by confirming that the club have pulled out of the league.
Parish, who joined only two seasons ago, had faced being expelled after defaulting three successive league matches.
"We have a football team but the cricket team is finished. It's over.
"Now we're into boats and jet skis, it's too hot for cricket," the spokesman said.
Parish began the season brightly, winning all three League Cup group matches, but had since failed to win a single league game.
Parish's League Cup semi-final place is now likely to be taken by North Village, who finished second behind Ernst & Young in a three-way Group A playoff, which also involved Forties, after the three clubs finished with a victory apiece behind Parish.
BC Allrounders now join Spring Garden Cavaliers, who topped Group B.
President Armell Thomas said the League Cup semi-final line-up will be confirmed and the draw made for the Knockout starting on August 31 at next week's monthly league meeting when North Village's appeal against St. David's using Premier player Landro Minors in a league match the East Enders won will also be heard.
Sunday's play-off for a place in this month's League Cup semi-finals was ordered because of discrepancies in the clubs' scorebooks during June's round-robin match.
Jamaican Association posted a competitive 143 for eight, including 17 extras, from their 20 overs but BC Allrounders timed their reply to perfection and needed only six to win from the final over after openers Dano Outerbridge (27) and Lavor Talbot (ten) rattled up 44.
Man of the match Shejuan Swan followed up his two for 22 from four overs by hitting two sixes and a four in his side's top score of 33 while Worrell Bean walloped four sixes in his 28. BC Allrounders' 144 for eight included 22 extras.
Pick of the Jamaican attack were Rowan Ramotar (two for 15 from four) and Junior Lindo (two for 28 from four).
All-rounder Kevin Abrahams topscored for the Jamaicans, smashing three sixes and two fours in his 38, while skipper Chris Daley made 25 and Daniel Edwards 22.
Mitchell DeShields was BC Allrounders' other leading bowler with two for 28 from four.
BC Allrounders' manager Kenneth Smith, delighted with his side's upset victory, said: "The grass needs to be cut at Garrison. A lot of the guys came out swinging. If you hit the ball on the ground it went nowhere."
Jamaican Association manager Glenmore Barrett said: "I think we got some of our tactics wrong. We didn't play well at all."
The Jamaicans can put the defeat behind them, however, and close in on their first league title since 2004 by beating St. David's in a make-up match – one of three postponed in June for various reasons – this weekend.
Victory for the Jamaicans would see them jump into a four-point lead over current leaders Forties with one match remaining.
Forties face Spring Garden Cavaliers while the Jamaicans take on North Village in what promises to be a nail-biting final round of league matches on August 17.
BC Allrounders take on Spring Garden Cavaliers in another make-up match on Sunday while Parish's departure means Ernst & Young will get the points from the intended third make-up game.