Antigua and Barbuda walked away comfortably with its fourth straight NAGICO/Leeward Islands One Day Cricket Tournament title at the Warner Park in St. Kitts on Sunday evening. The eight time champions crushed Nevis by 72 runs after setting a modest 210 all out in 46.4 overs. Nevis could only manage 138 in 38.5 overs; another thrashing at the hands of Antigua and Barbuda who defeated them last week in the preliminary round by 104 runs. For Antigua and Barbuda Austin Richards Jr. scored 69 runs from 78 balls and was judged the man of the match, cracking 12 fours in the process. Mali Richards had 38 runs and Hayden Walsh Jr. 32. Bowling for Nevis Jason Campbell took 3 wickets for 20, Akito Willet 2 for 43 and Tonito Willet 2 for 48. Antigua and Barbuda continue their dominance of this tournament, now in its ninth year. The only other team to win was St. Kitts in 2007; Antigua and Barbuda has won every other tournament.In the Nevis innings, Jason Campbell scored 26; hitting two 6s in the process, Andre Browne 25 and Javia Liburd 23 runs. Bowling for Antigua & Barbuda Hayden Walsh Jr. proved very effective again with the ball with 2 wickets for 2 runs, Justin Athanaze 2 for 36, Larry Joseph 2 for 46, Gavin Tonge 1 for 23.
At the loss of the 5th wicket, Nevis were certainly on the back foot and it was up to Andre Browne and Jason Campbell who started what appeared to be a fruitful partnership of 48 runs. Campbell produced an exciting display for the small gathering at the Warner Park getting boundary shots occasionally and scampering for every possible run. Nevis benefited from the slack fielding in some respects by Antigua and were able to squeeze runs from every other ball. But Campbell, through indecisive batting was bowled by Gavin Tonge in the third ball of the 25th over.
Akito Willet was run out in a very unfortunate manner when his partner Andre Browne drove a straight shot onto Justin Athanaze's hand; deflecting the ball onto Willet's wicket. Willet was outside his crease; thus his dismissal. Hayden Walsh Jr. coming off a productive performance the day before against Anguilla with three straight maiden overs, continued the trend with his first over. His second over continued the stranglehold on Nevis' batting claiming the coveted wicket of the stubborn Andre Browne for 25 and Trevier Smithen for 3. At that point it was virtually over for Nevis at that point with the score at 136 for 9.
Antigua's coach Pernell Wattley spoke of the deep batting line up in his team and the vibrancy of youth in the team with commendable performances from Hayden Walsh Jr., Mali Richards Justin Athanaze and Gavin Tonge among others. "It takes hard work and dedication. I hope they can reach to the top at the end," Wattley said. He is looking to getting players like Mali Richards, West Indies Test player Gavin Tonge and others in the Leeward Islands squad. The coach said training for next year's tournament starts now as they will not be waiting until weeks before the competition to prepare.
On the other hand Nevis team manager Elquemedo Willet said his players were on the right track earlier on in the match, but got a bit "ragged" in the field later on. "I thought 210 was not a huge score from 50 overs. We actually bowled them out," Willet said. He said the outlook for next year is probably to prepare for the competition much earlier regardless of the indecisiveness of the start date of the tournament. He also agrees with coordinator of the tournament Vernon Springer that St. Kitts and Nevis should play more matches ahead of the competition. The closing ceremony was held at the Warner Park in the presence of NAGICO CEO Imran McSood, President of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA) Gregory Shillingford and Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Dr. Denzil Douglas. NAGICO has pledged its continued support to the tournament and will be donating EC$100 for every six hit in the tournament to two health based organisation in St. Kitts and Nevis. There sixes hit in the tournament.
