Basseterre lifts Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Premier Cricket League 2013 title

Mr David Fox, Credit Risk Management Unit Manager at the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, presents the winners’ trophy to Captain Steve Liburd of Basseterre Zone Team.

Basseterre, St. Kitts (April 15, 2013) — In a tightly contested inaugural St. Kitts Cricket Association’s Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Premier Cricket League, where no team emerged as an outright winner in all the games, Basseterre Zone won in the two-day final played over the weekend at Warner Park by first innings decision against Rural West Zone. However, it was Rural West’s Captain Shane Jeffers who took the spotlight as the most decorated individual player, by being named the league’s MVP after attaining the highest individual score in the innings (160 against SKCA Development Team) and emerging as the player with the highest aggregate (369 runs at 73.8).

Basseterre Zone had romped into the finals of the St. Kitts Cricket Association’s Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Premier Cricket League 2013 without throwing a ball at the semi finals, when their opponents, Rural East failed to turn up at the Molineaux Cricket Grounds the previous weekend, while Rural West had dispatched SKCA Development Team at Conaree on a first innings decision.

The two-day final started on Saturday April 13 at Warner Park where Basseterre won the toss and elected to bat, making 398 for the loss of 4. Top scoring was Captain Steve Liburd who made 91 (with 16 fours and one six) facing 146 balls before he was run out. Other scorers were Garfield Charles (89), Jeremiah Louis (64 not out), Larry Audain (59 not out), Welton Edwards (32), and Esroy Powell (32). Rural West Team bowling: Elvin Berridge (1 for 100 off 25), and Shane Jeffers (1 for 75 off 20).

Victorious Basseterre Zone Team poses for a group picture with officials of the St. Kitts Cricket Association and Mr David Fox, a representative of the main sponsor, Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis.

In reply, Rural West were all out 145 off 34.1 overs. Top scoring was Captain Shane Jeffers with 94. Others Dylin Liddie (18), Sheno Berridge (14), Ian James (6), Simeon Hardhat (4 not out), Elvin Berridge (2), and Javal Hodge (1). Basseterre Team bowling: Larry Audain (4 for 11 off 4.1), Steven Liburd (3 for 22 off 11), and Esroy Powell (2 for 53 off 8). Only Basseterre Team batted in the second innings making 143 for 5.

The match was umpired by Wycliffe Mitchum and Luther Kelly, while scorers were Kheern Venner and Leanne Walters.

At the closing and awards ceremony, chairperson Mr Hester Rawlins observed that the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis Premier League had produced four individuals centuries, two of which were by teenagers, Shane Venner (151 not out) and Darren Hobson (136), a ‘most sentimental’ 111 not out by cancer survivor Codville Rogers, and by Shane Jeffers ( 160). He also mentioned other teenagers in the tournament, Akeem Saunders (Captain of the SKCA Development Team), who made his first class debut for the Leeward Islands in the West Indies regional competition, and Washington Archibald High School student Jeremiah Louis (Basseterre Team) for consistent scores throughout the entire tournament.

Captain Shane Jeffers of the Rural West Zone Team receives one of his awards from retired cricket player and official, Mr Cyril ‘Punta’ Webster. On the left at the podium is chairman of the closing and awards ceremony Mr Hester Rawlins.

Representing the General Manager of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr Lenworth Harris, at the closing and awards ceremony was the Bank’s Credit Risk Management Unit Manager, Mr David Fox, who on thanking all the players and organisers, said that the Bank was committed to continue with its support for the league. “In 2007 the Development Bank had a training session with some under 17 players, there were about 21 of them,” said Mr Fox. “We committed ourselves that we were going to continue to provide the platform for these youngsters to continue their cricket development, because we anticipate that from this group, we are going to have a player on the West Indies team.”

Other speakers were Mr Auckland Hector, President of the St. Kitts Cricket Association who thanked the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis for its continued support for cricket; and Mr Wayne Jones, Chairman of Cricket Committee.