Pythons’ Thomas hoping Vax 8 Fortune spills into following ABCA competitions

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1. All Saints Pythons collects their winnings following Monday’s final triumph over Pigotts Crushers in the ABCA Vax 8 tournament.
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By Neto Baptiste

Coach of the All Saints Pythons cricket team and former national player, Derrol “Musai” Thomas, is hoping that success in the cricket association’s inaugural Vax 8 tournament will spill into future competitions.

Pythons defeated home team Pigotts Crushers by four wickets in a somewhat one-sided final to claim the EC$800.00 cash prize on Monday.

Thomas, who also featured for the All Saints men, said the victory was someone rewarding after ending the cricket association’s Super 40 on a sour note earlier this year when pundits claimed his team’s victory over eventual champions Bethesda was rigged.

“From the time last year when the tournament [Super 40] ended, I ended on a very sad note because I [All Saints] destroyed Bethesda Golden Eagles and a lot of people were saying that they [Bethesda] threw the game but my team was getting stronger as the competition went on and we still getting stronger so we are looking forward for more tournaments coming,” he said. 

After winning the toss and opting to field, Pythons restricted Crushers to just 55 runs in 6.4 of their allotted seven overs. Dimitri Lucas was best with the ball for Pythons, picking up two wickets for just two runs in one over. Melique Walsh top scored for Crushers with 19 runs from 16 deliveries.

1. Pigotts Crushers’ Elroy Francis Jr (left) collects his prize for scoring the most runs in the tournament. (Observer media photos)

Lucas returned with the bat to lead Pythons to victor, slamming two fours on his way to a top score of 14 as the All Saints men raced to 58 for three in 5.1 overs. Malik Marcellin added 11 to the total as the second highest runs-getter for Pythons.

Thomas said his players performed well following a light glitch at the start of the tournament.

“We had a little hiccup on the first day but after we gathered our thoughts and got one or two players we grew from strength to strength. I think the guys played pretty well to say that we haven’t been practicing for a while but with one or two experienced players it paid dividends,” he said.

There were also a number of individual prizes with youngest wicketkeeper going to 17-year-old Malique Jacobs of Combined Schools. Elroy Francis Jr of Pigotts Crushers was the top runs scorer while Malik Marcelin of All Saints bagged the most wickets. Matthew Miller of Jennings was the youngest bowler in the tournament.

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