Teddy Nankishore's 71 lifted the Cavaliers to a daunting 286-8 in Sunday's (June 16) clash against Lucas Utd. He also became the competition's leading run scorer. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

Otis Chin hits out during the Lucas reply against Cavaliers. All the Lucas United batsmen struggled with the exception of Winston Davis (72) and were bowled out for 180 in reply. Photo: Charlie E. Jackson/VINO

Although “Teddy” Nankishore was proving his usual run scoring machine self at one end, the Lucas bowlers were proving more than a handful for the other Cavaliers batsmen but for a couple of dropped catches and the removal of Steadroy Jacobs from the attack, the crowd at the Greenland’s field could have been witnessing the end of an era and complete carnage.

Dorian Auguiste had already fallen for just four from the first ball of the second over when he was caught by Fitzroy Daley on the mid wicket fence off the bowling of Winston Davis and then Vishal Bharat, looking slightly out of sorts, sliced an attempted drive of the same Daley and was caught by McAuthor Byfield at backward point for five, leaving the Cavaliers 43-2 from five overs.

The previous over had seen Jacobs warned and then removed from the attack for successive over waist high deliveries, but the sixth over was to provide even more excitement and possibly the turning point in the Lucas fortunes.

With Kwesi Sinclair joining Nankishore, the total had reached 50 when first Sinclair was dropped at fine leg by Robert Richmond and then before the over was done Nankishore also survived a skier which Lenroy Murray was unable to hold on to. To make matters worst, Nankishore on just 30 at the time, smashed the last ball of the over out of the park for a maximum.

Sinclair also took full advantage of his let off by hitting Daley for two maximums and two boundaries in his next over and Nankishore brought up his personal fifty in the 8^th over with three consecutive sixes and then hit one more to finish the Davis over, which cost 27 runs and also saw the Cavaliers reach 105-2.

Daley conceded 17 in his next over and then in the 10^th over, Nankishore survived another straight forward chance, which this time was spilled by Uroy Willory. There was some debate as to whether the catch could be claimed as clean, but the umpire correctly adjudged the player wasn’t in complete control of the ball before it went to ground.

To rub salt into the wounds, Nankishore finished the over with another six.

The 11^th over saw Sinclair reach his fifty with a sequence of boundaries, four, six, four, off Murray’s bowling. The batting pair also had put on over a hundred-run partnership despite being dropped four times between them.

The 12^th over went for another 22 runs and then some brief respite for the Lucas bowlers as in the 13^th over, Nankishore finally fell to Murray, caught Fitzroy Daley, for 71.

The pair had put on 133 in just over 8 overs and Nankishore’s total put him ahead in the race for the Batting Green Cap, with 198 runs to Derrol Redhead’s 192.

Another dropped catch accentuated Murray’s over with Aaron Baker, the recipient of some good fortune before a pumped up Murray trapped Sinclair in front on 69 giving the umpire no hesitation in lifting his finger.

Baker’s luck run out in the next over as he was bowled Ruan Sweeney, but Cavaliers Captain Jagnarine Persaud was in no mood to hang around, clubbing consecutive boundaries to bring up the 200 in the 15^th over and then smashing 20 off the next to make it 223

The 17^th over was relatively quiet in comparison, going for 12 runs, but the calm was replaced with carnage in the 18^th with Shane Sinclair helping himself to a six and a four before Persaud copied that effort and then ran himself out from the last ball for 46.

Bowling the 19^th over, Murray started well but then wilted to concede a couple of wides and four fours to Sinclair. Brian Daley, bowling the 20^th over, went for just 10 runs and picked up the wickets of Shane (24) and Dhanpaul Chrisnand .

A victory target of 286 was always going to be a tough ask and scoring just 23 from the first five overs made it even harder.

Otis Chin and Willory struggled to get the ball off the proverbial square as first Shane Sinclair and then Devon Rabindra and Gopaul Boodram hit their lengths to great effect. The introduction of Julian Sinclair changed the complexion of the game though as, apart from removing Chin caught behind by Kwesi Sinclair for 15, the Lucas mood seem to lighten.

Willory suddenly found his timing and hit Boodram for 17 off the 7^th over which included the innings’ first six and with Captain Winston Davis at the other end a different result suddenly seemed almost possible.

The 8^th over went for 14 and included a brilliant one handed diving catch by Dhanpaul, which unfortunately for him and the bowler, Julian Sinclair, was a no ball.

Davis smashed Persaud for four consecutive boundaries in the 9^th over from a succession of short and wide deliveries and Bharat was hit for two sixes in the 10^th to make the score 87 -2 at the halfway stage.

The 11^th and 12^th overs produced little of interest from either side and then in the 13^th Davis opened his shoulders to muscle three maximums off Baker and reach his half century. Davis would go on to to hit another maximum in the 14^th over before being bowled by Dhanpaul for 72, with the total 139-3

Richmond then strode out looking full of menace and with 147 still required from just over 5 overs hit his first ball out of the ground with power and venom.

His bright and breezy assault was bought to an end with the return of Shane Sinclair who had him caught for 15 by Rabindra. Sweeney hit one high, but not very far in the next over to be caught by Baker off the bowling of Dhanpaul and then any remaining optimism of a win was washed away with the run out of Willory for a battling 38.

Shane and Julian Sinclair then combined to wipe out the tail as the last 4 wickets tumbled for just four runs with the total moving from 176 to 180.

Byfield opted not to bat and the game was done, giving the Cavaliers victory by over 100 runs and also providing much to ponder for the other teams trying to stop the Cavaliers from winning yet another Championship.

There is a long way to go though and plenty of time for the likes of Vincy C.C. and Virgin Gorda to work out how to overcome the perennial Champions elect.

The story on the game involving Vincy against Vikings will be published tomorrow.