Three teams participated in the Masters’ over 40’s cricket tournament, hosted in St.Maarten, from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th December.
The three teams were: Host St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis.
Friday 2nd December was originally planned as a match day but was later changed to a SHOPPING DAY, which gave the teams and supporters, a full day to explore the widely varied shopping opportunities offered by the host country.
In the first match on Saturday 3rd December, Nevis engaged St. Kitts and were off to a shocking start. At one point reduced to 8 runs for 4 wickets.
They however managed to get to 81 all out.
St. Kitts easily got to the target for the loss of one wicket, with Pastor Cecil Webbe not out on 35 and fast bowler White, experimented to an opening position and swinging the willow to good effect.
In the next game of the day, Nevis engaged St. Maarten and reduced St. Maarten to 94 in the allotted 15 overs.
Nevis in response got to the target for the loss of just two wickets.
Colin Walwyn batting through to be 45 not out and Carl Tuckett 17 not out.
In the first match on Sunday 4th December, St. Maarten engaged St. Kitts.
St. Maarten batted first and got to an impressive 137 in 15 overs, with Russell swinging from the hip, just like his more esteemed namesake, to knock the wind out of the Kittitian bowlers.
St. Kitts struggled to 101 in response.
It, therefore, meant that all three teams would have won one match each.
The scorers then had the unenviable headache of sorting out the net run rate, to determine the two finalists.
After much debate and tension, it was decided that the two finalists were St. Maarten and St. Kitts.
In the grand finals, St. Kitts once again batted first and scored 138 runs this time around, in 15 overs.
Russel and Shakur Hodge coming to the party.
St. Kitts in response once again struggled and needed an improbable, if not impossible 29 runs from the final over, with one wicket remaining.
St. Maarten won the game by 29 runs, thus securing the championship trophy.