AN all-round effort from national cricketer, Christopher Barnwell, failed to propel Strikers to victory when they competed against Game Changers on Monday afternoon in the final of the Big3T20 tournament in New York.

Along with Barnwell, the Strikers had several Guyanese-born players in the squad, including Bhaskar Yadram, Trevon Griffith, Richard Ramdeen, Steve Massiah, Trinson Carmichael and Shiv Sangalema.

After a dominant performance with Barnwell leading the charge throughout the tournament, the Strikers were favourites for the title.

In the semi-final on Monday morning, they easily disposed of NY Diamonds. They won that match by 92 runs with Barnwell blasting an unbeaten 80 (6X4s, 6X6s) from 33 balls and opener Ramdeen assisting with 54 (4X4s, 4X6s) from 32 balls.

Against Game Changers in the final, the Strikers lost the toss and bowled. Games Changers had a solid 68-run first-wicket start with opener, Umar Farooq, leading the attack with 55 (2X4s, 6X6s) and his opening partner, Rodrigo Thomas with 30, but Carmichael was able to dismiss them both, while Barnwell got three wickets in his second spell to help restrict Game Changers to 163 from their allotted overs.

Yadram and Griffith also picked up a wicket each.
Strikers never settled in the chase. Ramdeen fell for 12 (eight balls 2X4s) and Griffith for 17 (11 balls 3X4s).

For the third wicket, Barnwell and Pinak Ghose added 35 and looked like they would have re-built the innings, but Barnwell was caught at long on for 24 (2X6s from 18 balls) off the bowling of left-arm spinner, Nousharwan Adil.

Ghose top-scored with 34 (3X4s, 1X6) from 36 balls, while Yadram added 25 (1X4, 1X6) from 19 balls, but although Massiah (12 runs from 13 balls) and Carmichael (five runs from four balls) stayed unbeaten, the Strikers still fell short by nine runs; ending on 154-7.

Adil finished with 4-29 from four overs.

Barnwell, who amassed 232 runs in four games, including 85 not out, 43, 80 not out and 24 in the final, said that the side should have won the match.
He said that the fielding was not great and that they did not bat smartly during the chase.