VPL T10 League Final Highlights: Sunil Ambris led the Salt Pond Breakers to a win in the final. (Twitter/VPLT10)
Vincy Premier T10 League 2020 Final, Salt Pond Breakers vs La Soufriere Hikers Highlights: The biggest cricket match being held anywhere in the world since March – the final match of the Vincy Premier League – saw Sunil Ambris and his Salt Pond Breakers win the VPL final against La Soufriere Hikers by 20 runs.
On a day most of the big names for the two sides failed to deliver, the Hikers shot themselves in the foot in a chase of 101 to lose wickets in a heap, finally managing to reach 80/9 in their 10 overs. Asif Hooper’s Grenadines Divers won the third place playoff earlier in the day.
Salt Pond Breakers win the final by 20 runs and win the VPL 2020 title. The men in yellow take over the ground, dancing to the beats of the songs on the stadium loudspeakers. Grenadines Divers skipper Asif Hooper comes out to celebrate with the winning team.
La Soufriere Hikers continue to find innovative ways to get their batsmen out. A run out of the second ball comes with No 10 Kimson Dalzell not grounding his bat. His brother Kenson Dalzell comes out at No 11 to give all eleven batsmen a go in the final.
Delorn Johnson bowls the 9th over. The batsmen run even when their bats do not make contact. And finally they lose a wicket in the process. Haywood is gone for 10. Rayan Williams hits the fifth ball of the over for six. Gets a single off the last ball to get back on strike for the last over. Williams moves on to 15. 28 needed to win in the last over.
Wesrick Strough, the highest wicket taker in the VPL, is introduced into the attack in the 8th over. His services, though instrumental in the Salt Pond Breakers reaching the final, does not have much to do today. And he bowls a disappointing over, bowling many wides and getting smacked for four by Haywood. 39 required in the last 2 overs
The seventh over brings the seventh wicket. Othneil is out for 4. Ambris grabs the catch. Jeremy Layne picks his second wicket. Jeremy Haywood comes out at No 8. And is flored by a delivery from his namesake. He sits on the floor for a moment, even though the ball does not hit him, his act embodying how the Hikers have been floored by an invisibe opponent today - their fear of the occasion. Rayan Williams not out on 6, Haywood on 1.
The wicket deluge continues. Camarlo Cain is run out. he goes for 1, keeping up his side's practice of not troubling the scorers much in this match. Rayan Williams joins his fellow bowler Othnell Lewis at the crease. Both Lewis and Williams run their runs hard. 55 needed in the last 4 overs, with the Hikers lower order being asked to do the impossible.
Othneil Lewis, in the uncharasteric role of having the bat in hand, has joined Camarlo Cain. Sunil Ambris starts bowling the sixth over with the Hikers needing a miraculous recovery by the Hikers lower order to make a match of this.
No 6 Camarlo Cain joins Maloney, with the Hikers batting order being tested like they have not been before. Desron Maloney gets some welcome runs with a shot piercing the infield on the leg side. But he is then out - caught and bowled by Jeremy Layne. The skipper departs for 5 off 5 balls. The Salt Pond Breakers have uprooted the entire Hikers batting order with not even half of the target reached. The loudspeakers at the stadium start blaring songs in anticipation of an imminent Salt Pond Breakerds victory.
Cosmus Hackshaw the new batsman in at No 5. Ambris starts off his over with four dot balls. And the fifth ball brings a wicket. Hackshaw is out for a duck. The Hikers' chase is falling apart, with their skipper Maloney looking on from the non-striker's end, not out on 0 off 1 ball. Any South African cricket fans looking on would be tempted to utter the c-word, seeing how the Hikers have fallen on their chins in this chase.
Drama at the end of the 3rd over. Dean Browne did not think he was out and gave a shocked reaction when the umpire raised his finger. He goes down on his knee in disappointment after he crosses the ropes. He had looked to be in fine form today. But he is out for 13. Sunil Ambris comes on to bowl the 4th over. Ambris has a lengthy discussion with the umpire before the over.
Dean Browne, the quietest top order batsman in the Hikers team in the VPL, plays two consecutive lofted drives on the off side for two fours against Harry. Could this be his day? He has been joined by skipper Desron Maloney. Harry comes back with two dot balls on the money. Dean Browne slams the fifth ball down the ground for another four. But there is another disaster for the Hikers off the last ball. Dean Browne is run out!
Delorn Johnson bowls the second over, with a slip in place for him. And the Salt Pond breakers continue their good work in the field. What should have been Dillon's first boundary is cut off just at the ropes by Walker. And the ball stops just short of the boundary off the fifth ball again. The outfield is conspiring against the Hikers it would seem. And the last ball of the over brings disaster for the Hikers. Dillon Douglas is bowled by Delorn Johnson trying to play an extravagant stroke. He goes for 5 runs and smashes his bat onto the ground in frustration.
Dillon Douglas has a shaky start as well. Swinging and missing, the ball going on to hit his body. Javid Harry bowls a superlative first over. The pressure of the scoreboard and the occasion telling on the batsmen. The Salt Pond Breakers are also being electric on the field. Both Dean Browne and Dillon Douglas on 1 run each. Can the Hikers recover from the early wicket of their hitter-in-chief Salvan Browne?
Salvan Browne is out off the second ball! The drama continues in the final. Salvan Browne is out for 6 off 2 balls. Bringing the young Dillon Douglas out at No 3 in the first over itself.
Ambris has his last words with Javid Harry, thr skipper seen reading some notes taken out of his pocket. The destructive Salvan Browne faces the first ball. And starts off with a first ball six with a pull! We are off in the chase.
Walker and Strough try to take as much mileage as they can from their strokes by running as hard as they can, turning ones and twos. The last ball of the over just beats the fielder in the deep as we end the innings with a boundary. The Breakers finish their 10 overs with 100/6.
A run out to start off the 10th over. The batsmen are running for everything now and they lose a wicket in the process. The set batsman Hector is out for 28. Rickford Walker comes out at No 8.
Wesrick Strough, another powerful hitter of the ball, comes out at No 7. Dean Browne bowls the 9th over and starts off by giving away five bye runs. Hector steps out of his crease and slams the bowler down the ground for a six to compound the bowler's sorrows. Strough gets four fortunate runs with an unseemly looking shot down to third man. Last over coming up with Hector on 27, Strough on 5.
Kenson Dalzell comes into the attack and has much more fortune than his brother. Gets Urnel Thomas bowled. Urnel, who was looking increasingly frustrated, is out for 13. Delorn Johnson, who has to bowl out of his skin in the second innings, comes out at No 6. And he tries to give his team a fighting chance, swinging at it from ball one. The fifth ball is smashed over extra cover for a flat six. But Delorn Johnson is out off the last ball. Caught and bowled by the bowler. He departs for a quick 3-ball 8. Donwell Hector, on 19, with the responsibility of giving a strong finish to the innings.
Jeremy Haywood bowls the 7th over and the boundatries continue to elude the batsmen. Only a few overs left and Urnel and Donwell will have to start connecting from now on if the Breakers have to get to a competetive total. Hector on 14, Thomas on 13.