By Neto Baptiste
There were wins for the ABCA North and East Zones in the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) Sir Richie Richardson Under-17 Plus Tournament, which bowled off over the weekend at the Factory cricket ground.
Taking on the South Zone, North Zone rallied to a five-wicket victory to start their campaign on a winning note.
Batting first, South Zone were all out for 63 in just 15 overs. Dahari Francis and Matthew Miller were best with the bat, each contributing 18 runs. Marcus Williams was the pick of the bowlers for the victors, claiming five wickets for 13 runs in five overs.
When their turn at the crease arrived, North Zone were led by Jalen Francis with 27 not out as they reached 64 for five in 13 overs. Francis was the only bowler of note for the South Zone, claiming two wickets for just six runs in five overs.
Meanwhile, ABCA East Zone defeated South Zone by 86 runs.
Winning the toss and opting to bat, East Zone raised a challenging 172 for three. They were led by Jaheim Norde who smashed five fours on his way to 59 from 93 deliveries. He was assisted by Michael Greaves who had 41 before he retired. O. Belloet, Erwin Gallay and Dahari Francis each picked up three wickets in a losing effort.
Chasing 173 for victory, South Zone fell for 86 in just 25.3 overs. Francis, once again, led his team’s effort with 32 runs from 35 balls. Jeneson Richards did the damage with the ball, snatching four wickets for just 10 runs in 3.3 overs with Dimitri Lucas taking three for 14 in 5.5 overs.