Royal Knights, Vikings Clash For Haycraft Title
Unbeaten Royal Knights and the Vikings will meet in the BVICA Peter Haycraft T10 final on December 7 after semi-final wins at Greenland. Royal Knights chased down Grenada with ease, while the Vikings posted a massive 194 to knock out defending champions RTW Falcons.
Two of the BVI Cricket Association’s most in-form sides, Royal Knights (6-0) and the Vikings (5-1), will meet in the Peter Haycraft T10 final on December 7 after convincing semi-final victories at Greenland on Sunday. The weekend’s finals were rescheduled because of Anegada’s Lobster Fest, with both teams now set for a blockbuster decider on Tortola.
Royal Knights chased down Grenada’s 133 for 4 in 8.1 overs to win by six wickets, advancing to the final for the second consecutive year. Grenada had been boosted by a 49-run opening stand between Derrol Redhead and captain Andell Walcott. Redhead made 40 before being caught by wicketkeeper Richard Francis, while Rodney Marryshow finished 40 not out after Walcott was out lbw.
Royal Knights were rocked early when openers Yohann Lezama and Kazim Haywood fell cheaply, but Keon DeJesus (34) and Ameri Hinds steadied the chase with a 29-run partnership. Shelan Isidore’s unbeaten 41, supported by Kimson Daizell (15 not out), saw the Knights to 134 for 4 in 8.1 overs and a place in the final.
Clair praised his side’s composure after a testing match, saying the bowlers did well to restrict Grenada in the back end of the innings. Andell Walcott admitted Grenada had started strongly and conceded his side had struggled to defend their total, singling out bowling as an area for improvement ahead of the final.
In the other semi-final the Vikings produced an extraordinary T10 batting display, posting 194 for 3. Opening wicketkeeper-batsman Julian Banett struck 79 from 25 balls—featuring nine sixes—before being run out. Captain Deco Khemraj supported with a blistering 69 from 19 balls; Banett and Khemraj shared a 69-run second-wicket stand after a 99-run opening partnership with Rhakumar Seepersaud (34).
RTW Falcons fought back, led by Austin McDowall’s valiant 95, which included a dozen or more big hits, but they could only reach 154 for 3 in reply. The defending champions were eliminated by a margin reported as 39 runs, ending their title defence in dramatic fashion. Khemraj hailed his team’s batting depth and the bowlers’ effort to defend an enormous total, while Falcons captain Orlando Ollivierre admitted his side never bowled to their plan despite a strong chase.
Both finalists now turn their focus to the December 7 final at Greenland, where Royal Knights will seek to complete an unbeaten campaign and the Vikings will aim to dethrone them and capture the Haycraft T10 crown.
Primary source: Island Sun