By Neto Baptiste
Multiple times champions, PIC Liberta Blackhawks and New Winthorpes Lions will clash in one of two semi-final matches in the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association’s (ABCA) Two Day Cricket Tournament slated for 29th and 30th June in Liberta. Pigotts Crushers and State Insurance Company (SIC) Jennings will meet in the other semifinal clash in Pigotts also for this weekend.
The teams qualified for the penultimate round of the tournament after finishing amongst the top four following the final round last weekend.
Crushers topped the standings with 64 points after nine matches, three wins, five draws and one no-result. Blackhawks and Jennings both finished the preliminary round with 56 points and in the number two slot. They both played nine, won two, drew five and had two no-results.
New Winthorpes were awarded the match over Rising Sun Spartans this past weekend to move from 46 to 58 points. This, after reports that Rising Sun could not field a team on the second day’s play.
On day one, however, Spartans had won the
toss and opted to bat, reaching 204 all out in 39.3 overs with M. Charles hitting a
top score of 69 off 95 deliveries. R. Thomas also contributed with the bat, hitting 45.
Jamaul Fernandez and G. Cuffy were on target with the ball for New Winthorpes, each picking up three wickets.
In their first Innings, New Winthorpes were 158 for two in 30 overs with Ian Eusebe not out on 74. Reports, however, indicate that Rising Sun, after returning on Sunday with only eight players, managed only two deliveries before forfeiting the contest.