Tri-Nation Blind cricket…Jamaica bolt to double title after Barbados’ controversial win over Guyana in semis

Aug 28, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...ver-guyana-in-semis/

By Sean Devers
On the back of an unfinished 121-run opening stand between Alvin James (57) and Loshane Myles (49), Jamaica beat Barbados by 10 wickets at Malteenoes yesterday in the T20 final of the Tri-Nation Blind cricket series after winning the 40-over format on Friday last to bolt away with both titles.
On a day blessed with glorious sunshine B2 (blurred vision) batsman James outscored B3 Myles (poor vision) as the team from Reggae Country raced to 121 without loss in 10 overs, replying to Barbados’ 120-5 in a final reduced to 15 overs due to a late start.

James smashed Anthony Cummins for four and an effortless six off consecutive balls while Myles was equally dismissive as the pair played both horizontal (sweeps) and vertically (drives) bat shots on the fairly fast outfield.
When Adams swept Paul Bayne for successive boundaries to post the 100 in the ninth over, it seemed as if he was seeing the as big as a breadfruit. Earlier, Halden Forde (43) and Kciward Ryan (22) added 78 for the first wicket to give Barbados a solid 78-run foundation before Man-of-the-Final Myles removed them both in the space of 12 runs.
Carl Sobers, who scored 64 in the semi-final against Guyana, was bowled with a no-ball from Myles but failed to make the ‘Yardies’ pay and was bowled by B1 (totally blind ) Jason Rickets for four at 106-4 after the first overs produced 90 runs.
But no one else reached double figures before Jamaica, who qualified for the final by virtue of winning the 40-over tournament by beating Guyana and being awarded the game against Barbados after their appeal was upheld.
In yesterday’s semi-final, watched by a noisy crowd, Barbados registered a controversial 21-run win over the home team after Guyana, needing 243 to win in 20 overs, reached 221-4 when their overs expired.
Forde (20) was out hit the ball twice and Bayne (18) was stumped to leave Barbados on 78-3 but a brilliant third wicket stand from Skipper and B3 batsman Sobers, who smashed five fours in a 55-ball 64 and Ricardo Manning who finished unbeaten on a 30-ball 49 with three fours, put together 136 for the fourth wicket to push the visitors to a formidable total.
Guyana began their run-chase positively with the inform B3 Douglas, the leading run-scorer in the tournament, reverse swept Anthony Cummins for a couple of boundaries in the first over which cost 13 runs before taking 15 from the second bowled Ryan.
But B2 Patrick Howard (17) was run out by his runner’s error and Douglas, with two tons for West Indies in the last Blind Cricket World Cup in India, was bowled by Mark Goddard for 45 with four fours at 77-2.
Led by 40 with four boundaries from B1 Douglas Tika, Guyana were fighting back well and with two B1 batters at crease (B1s get double the runs they score of each ball) Barbados opted not allow a B1 bowler to bowl the final over and handed the plastic ball with beads in it that rattles when it rolls, to a B3 to complete the game.
Law 24.1 of the playing conditions state that 40% of the overs bowled in a t20 game MUST be bowled by a BI which means that BIs must bowl at least eight overs and at that point only seven were bowled by BIs.
The penalty for not bowling eight overs from B1 results in 10 penalty runs being awarded to the batting side but Barbados sacrificed the 10 runs aware the BI bowler might have conceded wide and both batsmen would get double value for their shots.