THANKS to some pugnacious batting from Anthony Bramble 58 (4×6, 3×4) and Keith Fraser who made an unbeaten 48 (3×6, 1×4), New Amsterdam’s Free Credit were able to take the third place when they defeated East Coast’s Flex Check by 52 runs at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday.

Bramble, who is a former national Under-19 skipper, and Fraser opened the batting for Free Credit with Bramble pulling Darren Peters over backward square leg for six in the second over of the match which was reduced to 10 overs a side due to rain.

Peters thought he had his man when he knocked back his middle stump, but looked back to see the outstretched arm of umpire Shannon Crawford signalling a no-ball, with the free hit being struck back over his head by Bramble for the second six of the over.

Bramble posted his half-century with back-to-back sixes off Clive Andries and in partnership with Fraser who also struck Ravi Singh for a six, added 87 for the first wicket before Bramble was caught by Wasim Haslim off Surujpaul Deosarran in the eighth over.

Fraser continued to soldier on for his team, even though he saw the demise of Sherwin Murray who was run-out for one, with a six over midwicket followed by a four off Zaheer Mohammed that took his team to 121-2 at the end of their allotted overs.

Having declined the services of the three guest players that were given to them prior to their semi-final match-up against Flex Text, Flex Check lost three quick wickets including Haslim (5) who got things started with a four through point off Keyron Fraser, to be 24-3 after four overs.

Skipper Zaheer Mohammed responded with two sixes off Eugene La Fleur and Troy Matheison respectively in his 24, but the task was too tall for him and he succumbed to Matheison when he picked out La Fleur at short third man.

At 54-4 in the eighth over, all Flex Check could have done was to prevent Free Credit from bowling them out, something they managed to achieve as they ended on 69-6 with Deosarran and Singh being the not-out batsmen on 2 and 3 respectively.

Even though all the bowlers used by Free Credit’s skipper Renwick Batson took a wicket with the exception of La Fleur, Eon Gibson’s 1-9 from his two overs was the most economical.

Meanwhile, in the female exhibition match which was also reduced to a seven overs-a-side contest, Tremayne Smartt’s XI defeated Shemaine Campbell’s XI by 10 wickets in an entertaining encounter.

Wining the toss and opting to bat first, Campbell’s XI scored 47-5 from their seven overs with Onika Wallerson top-scoring with 9 while Sabrina Munroe was the pick of the bowlers with 1-11 from her two overs.

In reply, Smartt’s XI reached 48 without loss from 4.4 overs, thanks to the batting of June Ogle-Thomas and Melanie Henry who were there at the end on 23 and 18 respectively, with both batters hitting three fours.

Up to press time, Georgetown’s Flex Text and Upper Corentyne’s Free Weekend were battling it out for the $400 000 first prize.