Action in the game between Delta Petroleum and Team Moorings in the Corporate Cricket Tournament on September 29, 2016. Photo: Provided

Defending Champions Delta Petroleum. Photo: Facebook

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Both Harneys and defending Champions Delta Petroleum, got their 2016 Corporate Softball Cricket campaigns off to winning starts on Thursday September 29, 2016, on the A.O. Shirley Ground.

The first game saw a merged Conyers/Deloitte team competing against Team Harneys, with both severely depleted due to a major event occurring at the same time for the legal and accountancy professions on island.

However, they both tried their best to assemble their squads and ensure they started their 2016 campaigns competitively. Conyers/Deloitte won the toss and decided to bat.

Conyers / Deloitte made a mockery of that decision though, when with just four overs gone, Rita Hawkins and Simon Cross combined to remove 4 wickets, leaving Conyers/Deloitte on 17 for 4.

It was left to Natasha Ruscheinski and Shaunda Isaac to salvage the situation and both players batted watchfully – allowing the Harneys bowlers to drift off target and collecting runs off wide balls whilst running singles where available. Their effort resulted in Conyers/Deloitte ending on 33 for 5.

With low target to aim for captain of the Harneys team Alvin Africa decided to send in husband and wife combination Stephen and Macia Payne to open the batting. It proved a very effective decision as Stephen Payne announced his cricketing credentials with a sequence of boundaries and sixes. Mr Payne set blistering pace to his innings and finished not out on a score of 25 by way of 3 fours and 2 sixes. Mrs Payne also remained not out on a score of 1. Harneys achieved the target in 2.4 overs completing a convincing win and the margin of their victory took them straight to the top of Pool B.

Delta Petroleum overcome Team Moorings

The second game of the night was the highly anticipated clash of last year’s champions Delta Petroleum with new comers Team Moorings.

Delta won the toss the backing themselves to make a big total decided to bat first, relying on their tried and tested openers from last year Mikhail Mohamed and Dhanpaul Chrisnanand.

Both openers made a steady start trying not to force the boundaries and running well between the wickets. They saw out the opening attack from Trent Belfon and Andrew Richards and then looked to capitalise on the change bowlers, putting on a partnership of 42 runs from 26 balls before in the 5th over Andrew Richards caught Mohamed off Cameron William’s bowling. Delta Captain Jagnarine “Sugar” Persaud then was promptly run out in the same over.

Opener Dhanpaul and newcomer Carlon Lueis combining for another 48 runs and the innings closed on 95.

The Moorings began their reply in quick fashion with J Ragnauth and Kevin Pericval tucking into the bowling of Delta Captain Sugar Persaud, before he had the last laugh by clean bowling Percival off his last delivery.

Dhanpaul clean bowled both Andrew Richards and opener Ragnauth whilst only giving away 3 runs, whilst Trent Belfon gave the Moorings team something to hope for with some powerful blows but his eagerness got the better off him as he played all around a delivery from Bashir Hidar and was clean bowled.

It was left to Kenron Baptiste and Hannah Bethune to salvage some pride for Team Moorings and although they battled valiantly it was too large a mountain to climb and the Team Moorings reply ended at 57 all out.