BOTH male and female teams of the Media XI suffered mixed fortunes when they opposed Grace Kennedy Remittance Services (GKRS) in friendly but competitive cricket and dominoes battles at the Banks DIH, Thirst Park Sports Club last Sunday.
In the dominoes competition, the female media workers under the name of ‘Dynamite Divas’ thrashed the hosts to win 94–81, while GKRS Titans won the male dominoes competition, which was played in a 20/20 format, over the Media XI.
In the male division after four sittings the hosts were leading 38-32 when a break came up to facilitate another activity. However, due to time and other commitments, that turned out to be the final score, giving the GKRS male Titans a prize they would have had to otherwise work hard for.
The participants then took to the cricket field and the females were first on show with GKRS Female Titans recording an eight-wicket victory over the Dynamite Divas.
The Dynamite Divas won the toss and took first strike and were bowled out for 55 in 9.3 of the allotted 10 overs, with extras top-scoring with 16 while opener Princessa Wilkie made 11 to be the only player in double figures and Iva Wharton scored 9.
The GKRS Female Titans then made light work of the Divas’ bowling to reach the victory target from 4.4 overs for the loss of two wickets, with player-of-the-match Danielle Darling being savage on all the bowlers to finish on 29 (3×4, 2×6) and she received support from Shonnell Wills who made an unbeaten 16.
In the male category, the Media XI who humiliated their opponents in last year’s match, were made to fight for victory this time around by the Ishaka Jackman-led GKRS Male Titans, before they came away with a four-wicket victory with four balls to spare in fading light.
GKRS Male Titans were asked to first strike by the defending champs who won the toss and scored 101 for 8 from their 15 overs. Nicko Cummings blasted four sixes and one four in his 36, while Yannick Tobin with a quick-fire 20 that was decorated with two sixes struck in the penultimate over and Jackman (10) were the principal scorers.
Skipper Sean Devers and last year’s tormentor Calvin Roberts took two wickets each for 19 and 22 runs respectively, while Kizan Brumell and Jermaine Neblett had one each for the Media XI who reached 102 for 6 from 14.2 overs in reply to maintain their supremacy.
John Ramsingh led the batting with 18 and received support from Rawle Toney whose 13 included two sixes. Ravi Persaud scored 13, and Devers 10 as they rallied the Media XI before watching Jermaine Carter, who was unbeaten on 10, hit the first two balls of the final over for four to seal the victory.
Cummings with 2-14 and Vaughn Alleyne 2-24 were the leading wicket-takers for the GKRS Male Titans who vowed to turn the tables around next year, while Cummings received a trophy for the highest individual score of the match.