JDF dethrone St Mary for JCA 50-over title

The Jamaica Defence Force are the 2022 Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) 50-over champions following a two-wicket win over St Mary in the final at Sabina Park last Saturday.

The defending champions St Mary were asked to take the first strike and posted just 159 all out in 37.3 overs, thanks to some effective spin bowling from national player Dennis Bulli who picked up four wickets for 30 runs from his 10 overs.

Bulli got good support from Oshane Williams who took two wickets for 23 runs, despite a battling top score of 72 off 83 balls by national batsman Alwyn Williams.

RUN CHASE

Williams and captain Andre Creary put on 93 runs for the third wicket before Creary was caught by Gordon Bryan off Bulli for 26 with the score on 129.

In the very next over Williams was run out by Bryan. He hit nine fours and two sixes.

That wicket prompted a slide as St Mary then lost six wickets for 29 runs.

In the run chase, the army men were in early trouble at 21 for three, with pacer Jermaine Chisholm removing opener Tevin Gilzene for nine and then left-arm spinner Tyrone Daley trapped both Carl Reid and Kevin Daley in front for six and one run, respectively.

Deethmar Anderson and Bulli then set about the recovery, and they put on 78 runs for the fourth wicket before player of the match Bulli went to Daley for a top score of 35.

The next over, Anderson went for 34 to leave the soldiers on 101 for five. However, captain Leighton Leslie (23) and Marlon Saunders (21) took the JDF closer to victory.

Gordon Bryan with 12 not out and Tyrone Burton one saw them over the line at 163 for eight in 40.3 overs.

Winning captain Leslie was pleased that his charges could secure the limited-overs title after last winning it way back in 2011.

“To see how the guys came on during the season is tremendous. We learnt from our mistakes and we sat down, reflected and decided we were going to play hard cricket. To see us reaping the rewards at the end of the tournament is a great feeling,” Leslie said.

Dethroned captain Andre Creary lamented the team’s poor batting which cost them the title.

“We didn’t bat the way how we wanted and after the fall of my wicket, we started to slide,” Creary said. He added that the team lost too many wickets for few runs and that was the main reason for their defeat.