By Clifton Ross

EAST Bank all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford smashed the highest individual score of the Jaguars 50 Overs League – a breathtaking 154 which helped his franchise seize a 35-run win over Essequibo in yesterday’s final.

Round 7 saw the two sides locking up in front a good-sized crowd at the Everest ground and which only got bigger as the match progressed. The mammoth 318 all out made by East Bank was built on Rutherford’s ruthless aggression.

In the innings which was littered with 11 fours and 13 massive sixes (the most in the League’s 50 Overs history), the left-hander Rutherford spared no one, as he raced to his whirlwind century off just 96 balls and made his innings look like a stroll in the park.

His sixth-wicket partnership of 145 with Ronaldo Alimohamed (42) broke the back of the champs who were under pressure in a big match but did not buckle. They made a spirited effort to reach another 250-plus score this season, but painstakingly fell short by a meagre deficit.

The chase saw hero Quintin Sampson, who, throughout the tournament has built a reputation on his power-hitting, rack up more than 300 runs after he defied the scorecard pressure and early loss of wickets, to clobber four fours and five sixes in his lower-order, top-score of 67 which kept his team’s hope alive.

His heroics, coupled with knocks from captain Anthony Adams (5×4, 2×6) in the next best score of 64 and a run-away innings of 45 from 20, by David Williams, helped take Essequibo to 283 before they were bowled out in 46.2 overs.

Some of those who tried to launch a comeback were Nokta Moses (24) and all-rounder Ricardo Adams (22) who managed starts but departed with less than 100 on the board, thanks to strikes from Trevor France who was the pick of the lot with 3-35.

The tourney’s leading run-scorer Kemol Savory stroked three fours in his composed 45 which kept the team afloat amidst the drama. The left-hander looked set on another 50 but had his stumps disturbed by part-timer Trevon Griffith (2-54).

Sampson then came out like a man possessed and commenced his onslaught which lasted 39 balls. His fearless power-hitting turned the tides against East Bank, but Rutherford had other plans as he denied the batsman a possible hundred after he seemed on course for three figures.

His dismissal brought Williams and Adams to the middle as the two plundered the bowling before Alimohamed knocked over the former. Williams, muscled four relief sixes and three fours but missed out on a half-century when Alimohamed knocked his stumps back.

The skipper continued to show his all-round ability and kept the board ticking as he brought another fifty this season from just 49 balls. ‘Bugsy’ Griffith’s magic arm then yielded another wicket. Rutherford easily mopped up the tail without any resistance to help his side to a confidence-boosting win.

When play began in the morning East Bank, batting first, ran into a hostile Sampson who showed his skills with the ball to snap up three wickets with his medium pace, while spinner Akinie Adams grabbed the wickets of Trevon Griffith (19), Matthew Nandu (20) and skipper Vishaul Singh (34)..

Rutherford stole the show with his batting and his choice selection which saw him reach his 50, 100 and 150 with boundaries. When he departed the fun and the flow of boundaries around and out of the venue ended, but the damage done was too severe as the champs still came up short in the end.

At the presentation ceremony, Savory was awarded the tournament MVP award for his 336 runs and 18 dismissals while his teammate Ricardo Adams bagged the Most Wickets Award for ending the league with 20 victims.