Red-hot Petersville win once again

WESTERN BUREAU:

The battle for supremacy in Zone A of the 2012 People's Choice/Lion Pride Westmoreland Cricket Association Twenty20 competition tightened last weekend when Petersville defeated Barneyside to join Savanna-la-Mar Business District/Whitehouse atop the standings with maximum nine points each.

In Zone B, leaders Paradise also made it three wins from three starts when they scored a comprehensive 120-run win against second-place Big Woods. Zone C leaders Orange Hill were also victorious, snatching a close one-wicket win against Stars of the West.

In their game against Barneyside, Petersville took first knock and scored 195 for eight off their 20 overs. Derval Green top-scored with an aggressive 54 runs as most of his teammates failed to measure up.

Poor batting

In their turn at bat, Barneyside were brushed aside for a mere 123 runs, giving Petersville victory by 72 runs. Only Leighton Dryden, who top-scored with 29 runs, was any good with the bat for Barneyside. Kaville Spence was the chief destroyer for Petersville, bagging four wickets for three runs.

In their Zone B win against Big Woods, Paradise were in rampant form, scoring 224 for five off their 20 overs. Rohan James with 83 runs, and Dixieth Palmer with 50 were the mainstay of the batting.

In their turn at bat, Big Woods struggled all the way and could only manage 104 for nine off their 20 overs. Ricardo Bacchus was the top bowler for Paradise, claiming four for 16.

Zone C leaders Orange Hill were made to struggle against Stars of the West as, after limiting their opponents to 150 for seven off 18 overs, they narrowly secured victory, scoring 152 for nine wickets off 17.2 overs.

Batting for Stars of the West, Allan Samuels and Myron Wilson with 38 and 35, respectively, got most runs, while in reply, Jason Thompson with 40 runs, and Crafton Clarke with 26 led Orange Hill to victory.

Other results

In other games played last weekend, Darliston, 94 for nine, lost to Whithorn, who made 96 for three; Chantilly, who made 153 for nine, defeated Hatfield by 114 for nine wickets; Delveland, 58 all out, lost to Negril, who scored 60 without loss; while Bog, who made 86 all out, lost to Sandals, who replied with 89 for one.

"At the end of the preliminary round the top eight teams between the three zones will advance to quarter-finals or 'A' League, while the bottom 10 teams will compete in a new 'B' League," said Deltona Williams, president of the Westmore-land Cricket Association. "The teams want to play cricket so we are providing them with as much cricket as is possible."

The new 'B' league, which was added at the insistence of the competing teams, has attracted sponsorship from Big M Hardware, Jamaica National, Keddo Investment, and Dr Donovan Bennett.

- Adrian Frater