One of the pre independence activities for 2018, excited a small but vociferous crowd at Warner Park on the evening of Saturday 8th September.
It was a St. Kitts 20 and under Cricket team, coming up against their Nevisian counterparts.
Included in the members of the crowd, was the chairman of the Independence committee, Hon. Shawn Richards; President of the St. Kitts Cricket Association, Mr. Phillip and other members of the St. Kitts Cricket Association.
The match started shortly after 6 pm and the home team won the toss and elected to bat on the solid looking track.
They were soon in early trouble and at 53 for 7, it looked as if everyone was in for an early night.
Enter Rashid Eddy.
He took a particular liking to the off spin of Trishawn Francis and proceeded to blast him over the straight boundary, not once, not twice, but four emphatic times.
He swung his bat lustily right down to the last over, when he eventually departed via the run out route, trying to hog the strike.
He however got his team to a defendable 103 all out in 19.3 overs.
Even then, it still seemed as if it would be an early night, as after the early loss of Captain Ross Powell, Jamie Cornelius and Shelton Forbes, proceeded to pepper the St. Kitts bowlers to all parts of the Park. At 72 for 1, with lots of overs in the bank, the Nevisian supporters were already celebrating.
However, cricket remains a funny old game and the proverbial fat lady was still all the way at Fort Street.
Once the spinners, Pemberton and Wadhwa came into the attack, the game suddenly turned on its head.
72 for 1 soon became 72 for 2—then 73 for 3; 73 for 4; 80 for 5 and suddenly the St. Kitts team and their supporters, started believing again.
The Nevis team, continued to buckle under the pressure and at 99 for 9, the tension at Warner Park, cut like a sharp knife.
It came down to 5 runs required from the last 6 balls.
The first ball, Sharma turned neatly into the onside and set off for a sharp single.
He appeared to be well inside of his crease when a direct hit, tumbled the bails, but umpire Nisbett raised the dreaded finger, much to the dismay of the Nevisian supporters and much to the joy of the Kittitian die hards.
N’Cosie George then took strike. Five runs required from five deliveries.
Ball two, swing and a miss. Ball three –swing and a miss.
Ball four another lusty swing; mid-off stops cleanly, but the batsmen scamper for 2 crucial runs.
Three required from two.
Ball five-swing and a miss.
One ball to go; two runs to tie and three to win. The fat lady was hanging precariously from the balcony…..
Swing and a miss—the Kittitians and their supporters went wild. St. Kitts under 20 had won!
Immediately after the match, Hon Shawn Richards presented medals, trophies and cash prizes to the deserving teams and outstanding players.
Pemberton of the St. Kitts team for his 24 and 2 wickets, was adjudged the man of the match.
Summarized scores: St. Kitts under 20: 103 all out in 19.3 overs: Rashid Eddy 38; Pemberton 24
Trishawn Francis 3 for 33; Carlon Tuckett 2 for 5; Boognarine Sharma 2 for 17 and Tewan Prentice 1 for 19
Nevis under 20: 101 for 9 in 20 overs: Jamie Cornelius 38; Shelton Forbes 20
Wadwha 3 for 8; Pemberton 2 for 16; Newman 1 for 14 and Smith 1 for 27
St. Kitts under 20 won by 2 runs