Clare Hall Claim Schools Two-Day Cricket Finals, AGS Win T20 Title

The Clare Hall Secondary School (CHSS) emerged champions of the Massy United Ministry of Sports Senior Boys Two-Day Schools Cricket Competition on Thursday, following an exciting drawn contest at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
The CHSS team, however, gained first innings points to take home the championship trophy ahead of their T20 finals also against the Antigua Grammar School (AGS) on Friday.
Batting first, CHSS reached 109 before they were all out. Their best effort with the bat came from Rasheed Henry who made 35 and Demari Benta scoring 26.
Bowling for AGS, Dishon Henry bagged three wickets for 17 runs while Johie Massiah (3/25) and Jaylen Francis (2/14) also contributed with the ball.
AGS, in their first innings reply, were all out for 84 runs with only Kioni Greenaway shining with the bat after making 34 runs.
Bowling for CHSS, Kadeem Henry bagged four wickets for 34 runs while Ishmeal Peters snatched three for 17.
Coach of CHSS and former national and West Indies player, Winston Benjamin, said the team’s confidence grew after they picked up first innings points.
“After we got first innings points, I didn’t think we needed to make the running [set the pace] and I had said to my [players] that had we lost first innings points, then we are going to have to make the running, so I just wanted them to bat and bat normal. Kadeem Henry batted well in the second innings and another youngster in Hilroy Andrew really came up trump for us when we were under some pressure and got a decent 30 plus,” he said.
Following their first innings dominance, CHSS returned to the crease to make 160 all out with scores of 40, 30 and 23 coming from Henry, Andrew, and Benta, respectively.
Elroy Francis picked up four wickets for 58 runs and Jaeo Benjamin had three for 23, both bowling for AGS.
The AGS reached 60/5 at the end of play on the second and final day of the contest.
The AGS coach, former West Indies captain, Sylvester Joseph, gave credit to the opponents for playing a good game but added that some conditions worked against his team.
“The condition in terms of the pitch was not the best for schools cricket. It was very difficult for the youngsters but with the quality that we have in our team, I think that had they applied themselves that we would have overhauled that total,” he said.
“Our first seven or eight batsmen have all played first class cricket, so the remaining batters [on the final day] were really the lesser batters, so it was a disappointing feeling in the dressing room but I tried to motivate them in the end,” Joseph added.
The two teams clashed in the T20 finals on Friday where AGS brushed aside defending champions CHSS in a nine-wicket victory. Batting first Clare Hall were dismissed for 42 off 13.1 overs with opening batsman Valmond top scoring with 17. Bowling for AGS Johie Massiah had figures of 3-0-2-5, Elroy Francis Jr. 2-0-0-6, Jaylen Francis 4-0-3-11, Dishon Henry 2-0-1-10 and Daniel Richards 2.1-0-4-7.
AGS raced to their target scoring 45/1 off seven overs. The man out was Johie Massiah who went lbw to Henry for 12 but Kioni Greenaway with 14 and Paul Miller with 13 not out saw their team home to ensure a title for their school.