Tarrant High celebrate with their trophy after winning yesterday's First Global Bank 'A' League final. Tarrant beat Mona on first innings at Melbourne Oval. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
TARRANT YESTERDAY lifted the First Global Bank 'A' League cricket title after beating Mona on first innings in the final played at Melbourne Oval.
Final scores in the two-day match: Tarrant 256 and 187; Mona 224 and 125-2.
There was a wild celebration after the match for Tarrant who won their first cricket title in 40 years.
"I feel like the happiest man ever to attend Tarrant," manager Renford Taylor said.
"I am really delighted to see how the youths have come together and showed that unity goes to strength," Taylor said.
"We all worked together to make this a success ... and the unity brought the joy we wanted for 40 years," he said.
Overall, he said, it was a testing time because "Mona were acting as a team with a heart ... heart of a lion, they never gave up."
Mona's coach, Owen Speid, said the wet pitch on the first day cost his side the game.
"It's a shame," Speid said. "Our bowlers are not used to bowling on a wet pitch and they did a bad job on the first morning and that, I think, cost us the game."
Resuming yesterday's final day on 96-4, Mona went in search of 257 for first innings but fell into early trouble at 154 for nine.
However, Ricardo Scott, 41 not out, and last man Dwayne Burbles, 26, batted gallantly in putting on 70 for the final wicket before the latter was run out.
At their second time at bat, Tarrant, whose first innings total was set up by Ricardo Williams' 81 against Keron Davis (4-50) and Phillip Smith (3-47), failed to live up to their day-one performance.
In the second innings, Lloyd Gould led the way with 75 against Fabian NcNab (4-39), Ricardo Scott (2-10), Jamiel Austin (2-36) and Keron Davis (2-37).
Set an impossible 220 to win from 13 overs, Mona went out blazing from ball one.
Keron Davis got a quick-fire 60 off 26 balls, which included 10 fours and two sixes. Mardio Grandstand chipped in with 49 not out, which included six fours and one six.
