Cavs call for super over after T20 final ends in a tie
The outcome of the Commercial Cricket League’s Twenty20 League Cup remained up in the air last night after the scores ended level in the final as darkness descended on Shelly Bay.Forties, who trounced North Village by 94 runs earlier in the day, closed on 128-3 in reply to Jamaican Association’s 128-7.Forties, appearing in their first T20 final, began the last over around 8.10pm needing eight to win but managed only seven as Ernest McCallan was caught behind for eight off the final ball in a dramatic finish.Because of darkness there was no time for a super over to decide the winners.Jamaican Association spokesman Glenmore Barrett, whose side were frustrated by the late start of the final, said: “I strongly suggest a replay.”The clubs meet again this Sunday in the semi-finals of the 40-overs-a-side Knockout Cup and Forties’ skipper Gordon Campbell suggested: “Maybe we should do a super over before the semi.”He said he would poll his team-mates to get their views.If no agreement is reached the teams will share the cup.Both teams complained about the long grass — described by Campbell as “ankle-high” — and led to one farcical episode where the ball was lost in the outfield late in Forties’ innings although the batsmen did not take advantage of their opponents’ misfortune.Barrett said: “If they put 100 cows there for a week they couldn’t eat that much grass.”Jamaican Association, the 2010 winners who booked their place in Sunday’s final by beating Devonshire Stars and holders Spring Garden Cavaliers in June, were pegged back by the bowling of David DeSilva(3-20) and Yatin Gawas (2-15) as opener Lucky Morrison made 24, Presley Millwood 26 and Traddie Simpson 20.Gawas, who earlier narrowly missed out on a century against Village, got Forties off to a good start with a run-a-ball 38 as he and fellow opener Simon Jones, who hit an unbeaten 47 from 47 balls, added 59 for the first wicket.Matthew Lee chipped in with 18 from 18 balls, Junior Lindo, Ian Coke and Keniek Wallen picking up a wicket apiece.Said Campbell: “The game finished in pitch black at 8.15. The last five overs, the light was very bad, but they had a conference before each of the last four overs.“My hat goes off to the keeper (Khyri Furbert) who caught the pop-up off Muggsy’s (McCallan’s) bat on the last ball with the scores tied.“In the 18th over the dark ball was lost in the long grass for about a minute and our batsmen declined to run any more than the two they had just taken.”Campbell blamed the late finish on Village blocking out the final eight overs of their innings in the semi-final after they had given up hope of overhauling Forties’ 181-6, eventually closing on 87-7.“After 12 overs they gave up the chase and just blocked to keep us in the field a little longer,” Campbell said.“The game took a long time, not least because of all the business with them blocking the last eight overs. There was a lot of repartee going on with batsmen stepping out etc.”Gawas, who set a new league record by smashing 177 off the Jamaicans at Garrison Field last month and followed it up a week later with a century against Spring Garden Cavaliers, struck seven sixes and seven fours in his 95 as he and Lee, who hit five sixes and three fours in his 48-ball 56, added 103 for the third wicket.In Village’s reply opener Mike Levon, Jr made 23 as Campbell claimed 3-4, DeSilva 2-6 and Lee’s 70-year-old father Allan 2-14.Village skipper Allen Walker, who took 2-21 earlier, conceded:“Forties played a very well on the day. They deserved to win.”This Sunday’s other Knockout semi-final is between Village and holders Cavaliers at Shelly Bay.Note: The super over, sometimes referred to as an eliminator or oopsie (one over per side eliminator), was first used in 2008 in a game between New Zealand and West Indies and replaced the bowlout method previously used. Each team nominate three batsmen and a bowler. The team who score the most runs in their super over are the winners of the match. A team’s super over ends if they lose two wickets. If the scores in the super over are tied, the match is won by the team who hit the most sixes in their innings.