Carel Super Kings (CSK) winners of Group B of the Ghana Cricket Association’s New Year Invitational T20 league, have set up a final with Supreme Cricket Club, winners of Group B, on Sunday, March 12, 2023 after both beat their opponents in the semifinals.
Supreme began the semis against a determined U-19 side in the early hours of Sunday, March 5, 2023 at the Achimota Cricket Oval C.
The young lads succumbed to their seniors but not without a fight as they had to chase 112/6 score by Supreme in the first innings, after losing toss.
There was great restriction by the U-19 team, who kept Ghana’s Openers’ Samson Awiah 15(34) and James Vifah 6(10) from hitting hard, with an approximate of 1 run per ball, scoring 28/0 in 5 overs. Before the end of the power play, Supreme lost their opening batters and there was joy for the U-19 who kept Supreme at 42/2 in 10 overs.
Supreme closed the gap, scoring 76/3 at 10 overs and finished it off well in the final 5 overs, with 44 extras gift from the U-19 although couldn’t achieve the 1 run per ball. Prince Addo however took 4.0-0-14-2 in the bowling figures.
A shorter second innings saw the great alternations of the opening batters of Supreme, who are spinners causing trouble for the U-19 team. Their combination dismissed 3 wickets at 5 overs, while the U-19 stood at 23 runs.
Kames Vifah, who was named player of the match per his bowling figures completed his four overs at the end of the 8th over with 4-0-19-3. Aziz Sualley and captain Obed Harvey continued to torment the U-19 team, who had lost their captain earlier, keeping the lads at 42/4 in 10 overs and 79/8 in 15 overs. Thomas Bakiweyem then wrapped it all up with a brace on the 15.2 and 15.3 overs, dismissing Emmanuel Nii Armah and Danzibel Livingstone Darko.
U-19 team managed 79/10 in 15.3 overs and Supreme won by 33 runs.
In the other semis, CSK maintained their momentum to beat Defenders XI by 5 wickets. Defenders scored 66/10 in 14.2 overs in an innings that saw Joseph Aboagye take 3.0-0-12-3 in each over, with great restriction Arumugam Venkatesh (3-0-9-1) and Sam Michael Merbin (3.2-0-8-1).
Out of the 11 batters, only 6 made runs, while CSK donated 24 extras to add up to Defenders’ total. Defenders were at 21/3 after 5 overs with Openers Melvin TD and Albin Abraham both scoring 0(2) and 0(4) respectively. At the 10th over, only 1 more wicket fell while Defenders stood at 42/4 and 5 quick fall of wickets came till the 14.2 overs, as captain Sanob Vengali Ravindran retired hurt.
It took CSK 10 overs from 54 minutes, to score 70/5 to win the game by 5 wickets. Defenders tried replicating the quick fall of wickets to scare CSK. Early wickets on the 4.1, 4.3 was not enough for Chandrabos Sharon, who strike again on the 6.1 and 6.5 to wrap up his 4.0-0-14-3, with a run out by Albin Abraham on Michael Aboagye, who emerged player of the match. Michael scored 15(16) and took 3.0-0-20-2.
It is going to be a cracker on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at the Achimota Cricket Oval at 10:30am when Carel Super Kings comes up face to face against Supreme Cricket Club.
Both have lost one match each, both finished top of their respective groups with 10 points. You can’t afford to miss this final together with the trophy presentations and other accolades.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey
