TWENTY/TWENTY FINAL

On a day that saw a reprieve from the sweltering heat wave that has paralysed the island for the previous week, Springbok took on Srilanka B in the final of the twenty/twenty cricket.

Springbok had trounced ESBA in the first round with star batsman Zahid scoring 125 in the last ten overs. In the second round Zahid had scored another century to bring about the defeat of the Srilanka A team.

Srilanka B had swept Fellows aside in the first round with their star bat Manju scoring 98 in twelve short overs. A second round thriller saw them narrowly defeat WSBA.

This final was set to be a dual between two very talented batsmen, with the prize of the championship for the winner. In fact the game was to play out quite differently.

Springbok won the toss and chose to bat. The opening partnership was brought to an abrupt end with Mani lbw to Manju for only 6. Hardhitting Kashif scored a quick 17 before he was caught off Sampath. But this was cold comfort for the Srilankans as it brought Zahid to the crease.

Opener Rashid had been looking strong from the outset, and now joined by Zahid a runfest was on the cards. And they did not dissapoint, together scoring 30 runs in a single over with four sixes and a four.

But before the momentum of the partnership became unstoppable, Zahid was caught off Sampath for 26 with the score on 138. No 5 bat Arif followed soon after, and the Srilankans saw themselves back in the match.

By now Rashid was hitting freely. In his score of 74, he had made over half of his total in sixes, seven in all.When he was finally bowled in the sixteenth over by Prason Springbok were 145.

With four overs left to go Mati (38) and captain Mike Kyriacou (25 not out) picked up the attack, peppering the boundary in a partnership worth over fifty runs. In the final over the unfortunate Dileepa went for twenty.

The Springbok total was 199 after their twenty overs, an innings of shared effort and reward. Once again they had forced a run rate of over ten an over, which the Srilankans would have to match if they were to have any chance of winning.

Srilankan openers Dileepea and Danuka were the batting engine of last year¹s championship side and both capable of taking a match away from their opposition.

But in a furiously fast opening bowling attack from Mozam and Arif, Danuka was bowled for 11 by Mozam, No 3 bat Sampath was caught off Arif for 0, and then, disastrously for the Srilankans, Manju was caught off a misshit hook from Mozam without scoring.

With wickets continuing to fall at the other end, Dileepa was unable to build the partnership the Srilankan innings so desperately needed. He battled on to a brave 59. Where a wiser man might have ducked, he would hit bouncers off his nose for six.

But with a highest score of 4 from the batting at the other end his defiant innings was not going to affect the inevitable outcome. The Srilankan innings ground to a halt in the nineteenth over 114 all out.

Springbok are the 2005 Twenty/Twenty champions.

Rashid was named man of the match for his innings of 74, of which 45 had been scored with sixes.

Zahid was awarded player of the series for his 125 not out against ESBA, his 100 not out against Srilanka A, and for the six wickets he took in his three games.

Thanks to all the officials who have stood umpire during the competitiion Des Hart and his sister Kate Hart who umpired the final, and Ron Cox and Barry Allison for umpiring the previous rounds, Barry Allison for organising the umpires schedule.