Belize: Brilliant And Wicked Eleven advance to finals

Brilliant Cricket Club of Crooked Tree has advanced to the finals of the Belize National Cricket championships by winning two of the three-game semifinals against the Surprise Cricket club of Lemonal. Brilliant tallied a score of 166 runs to win the third game played in Bermudian Landing on Saturday, July 7.

Surprise blundered in refusing to finish playing the second semifinals match, which was begun in Lord's Bank two weeks before. Surprise had led with a score of 130 runs and Brilliant needed 12 runs for the victory, a situation, which the Surprise bowlers might yet have decided in their favour. By refusing to play on, they forfeited the second game to Brilliant.

In the third game, Surprise's Gareth Banner took three wickets, but Lyle Tillet walloped out a six and 5 fours to lead the Brilliant eleven scoring with 38 runs. Other Brilliant batsmen were also over the boundary; Kevin Tillett lofted away 2 sixes and 2 fours for 29 runs, Arturo Wade swatted away a six and 3 fours for 22 runs, and Landis Wade hit 3 fours for a 24 run tally.

Lyle Tillett also bowled a "brilliant" game, taking four Surprise wickets for 6 runs.

Assisted by Landis Wade and Brian Tillett who took two wickets each, they held the Surprise batsmen to 57 runs all out.

Ceford Banner led the Surprise efforts to score with 19 runs; Calbert Banner managed 17 runs holding out the end before his last bating partner, Thomas Anthony, was stumped for one run. Orlando Banner added another 10 runs to the unimpressive tally.

The other finalist was decided on July 14, 2001 when Wicked Eleven defeated Sunrise to advance to the finals.

Brilliant and Wicked Eleven will now play a three-game-series to decide the championship.