Excelsior retain T20 title in dominant fashion

EXCELSIOR HIGH School showed that they are the premier institution when it comes to cricket in the urban area, defending their Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) T20 cricket title following a 76-run win over last year’s beaten finalists Kingston College (KC) in the final played at the Melbourne Oval yesterday.

It was the second piece of silverware this year for Excelsior, as they also defended their ISSA Grace Shield title after defeating last season’s beaten finalists St Jago High School last week.

Opting to take the first strike after winning the toss, Excelsior got off to a bad start, losing their in-form opener David Dewar, who fell to the second delivery from Chadrick Wallace for a duck, with just one run on the board.

Things looked worse for the Eagles, who lost captain Demarco Scott in the third over for just five at 14 for two.

Opener Jamare Daley and Justin Adlam then began the repair work, and the pair added 75 runs for the third wicket, before Daley was bowled by Markel James for 24.

Adlam would go on to bring up his half-century after hitting five fours and three sixes, but when he got to 57 he fell, leaving Excelsior on 124 for four in the 14th over. Geovanni Grey then came in to step on the accelerator, hitting an unbeaten 43 from 30 balls with fours fours and a six to get Excelsior up to 191 for five in their allotted 20 overs.

National under-15 player Nicoli McKenzie chipped in with 14, while Tarique Forbes scored an unbeaten 12. Wallace finished with two for 24, while Jhaylan Thomas bagged two for 49 for KC, who then got off to a flyer in the run chase.

National youth player Kev’Aundre Virgo was the chief architect of that positive response, as he and fellow opener Antowne Virgo put on 91 runs for the first wicket.

It took McKenzie to break the excellent response, bowling Antowne Virgo for 20.

One run later, Kev’Aundre Virgo found himself back in the pavilion, caught off McKenzie for a well-played 71 from 36 balls with seven fours and five sixes.

That wicket, as eary as it was in the innnings, signalled the end of KC’s resistance, the runners-up losing their next eight wickets for a mere 23 runs to be dismissed for 115 in 18.1 overs.

Mckenzie ended with three wickets for 25 runs, while captain Demarco Scott bagged three for 14.

Earlier, St Jago secured third place with a 25-run win over Jamaica College (JC). St Jago first posted 126 for six in 15 overs, which JC replied to with 101 for five, also in 15 overs.