Surrey Kings hold nerve to claim T10 title

Surrey Kings edged Surrey Royals in the Dream XI sponsored Jamaica Ten10 (T10) to win the final by five runs at Sabina Park yesterday.

Both teams left it all out on the park in a nail-biting finale, with Kings conjuring up a decent score of 109 for seven and then holding their nerve to restrict Royals to 104 for five.

Defending champions Royals won the toss and asked Kings to take first strike, thinking they could chase whatever Kings posted on a good wicket.

That decision to bowl looked good early as Kings lost two wickets for just two runs in the opening over, with left-arm seamer Khari Campbell sending back opener Antwin Stevens and captain and No. 3 batter Jeavor Royal for nought.

It didn't get much better for Kings, who lost Tevin Gilzene for two and Andre Russell for 13 at 23 for four in the fourth over.

Late-order hitting from Shalom Parnell got Kings to a respectable score as the right-hander hit an unbeaten 35 from 14 balls, with one four and four sixes. Kenroy Williams was left not out on 14 from 10 balls with two sixes.

Campbell and Abhijai Mansingh took two wickets each for Royals, who got off to the worst possible start in the run chase when they lost in-form opener Leroy Lugg for a duck when he went caught and bowled by Sheldon Cottrell.

Carlos Brown and Odean Smith took the score to 47 in 5.4 overs before Royal bowled Brown for 16.

The very next ball Royal knocked back the middle stump of captain Javeille Glenn for a duck, and Kings were in the driver's seat, having Royals in trouble at 47 for three in the sixth over.

Peat Salmon joined Smith, and the pair resurrected the run chase with a 53-run fourth-wicket stand before Salmon was run out by wicketkeeper Kimani Wilson for 30, which he got from 14 balls and hitting two fours and three sixes.

It was left up to Smith to complete the job, but with the team needing more than 20 runs in the final over, they got 16 off pacer Ojay Shields, with Smith left stranded on 45 from 29 balls with five fours and two sixes.

Player of the tournament Royal believed it was a tremendous finale for Kings.

"We lost last season to this team in the final, and it was a tight game as well, but I am really happy for this win against them. We have a good crop of players. We played some good cricket. We lost one game this season, and I told the team that was our only bad game, and we came out and executed well," Royal said.

"I can't fault my guys as we fought hard. The final came down to the last over, and we were still in the game. We just came up short, and such is the game," said losing captain Glenn.