Cayman Prep triumph in 2023 Inter-Primary Cricket Competitions

Cayman Prep stamped their mark in the 2023 Inter-Primary Cricket Competitions as they secured both titles in exciting fashion on Thursday, June 22 at the Annex Field.

In the inaugural girls’ cricket competition, the young ladies from Cayman Prep A and East End Primary booked their places in the finals after defeating Sir John A. Cumber Primary A and St. Ignatius Catholic respectively in the girls’ semifinals on Wednesday, June 21.

Coming into the final, both schools boasted perfect records, which set the stage for what would be an exhilarating match-up. Smarting from their recent victory in the 2023 Under-11 Girls Cricket Rally in May, Cayman Prep A were determined to secure the double. Opening at bat, East End’s top of the order were uncharacteristically tentative and nervous in the crease, which unfortunately resulted in them losing early wickets. The middle order gradually grew in confidence as they settled their nerves and eventually scored 57 in the allotted 8 overs losing 4 wickets.

In comparison, Cayman Prep’s top of the order batters exuded calm confidence in the crease and steadily ‘chipped away’ at the score eventually securing the winning 58 runs in just 5.2 overs with the loss of only 3 wickets.

In the third-place game, Sir John A. Cumber Primary A defeated St. Ignatius Catholic 59 runs (in 6.3 overs) to 58 runs (in 8 overs).

In the boy’s cricket competition, defending champions Cayman Prep A and East End Primary secured their final spots with wins over Joanna Clarke Primary and St. Ignatius Catholic respectively in the boys’ semifinals that were also played on Wednesday, June 21.

In the final, East End Primary batted first and much like their female counterparts, seemed uncharacteristically uneasy in the crease. Prep’s precise bowling and good fielding was preventing the East End Primary batters from finding the all-important boundaries but after losing a few wickets, East End Primary’s middle and bottom order ‘steadied the ship’ on their way to an impressive 95 runs in the 12 overs.

Ninety-five runs would probably be an unassailable score for most teams but the Cayman Prep A boys showed exactly why they are defending champions. With expert precision and a keen sense for finding the gaps between fielders, Cayman Prep went about dismantling East End Primary’s bowling and after losing only 3 wickets, reached that magic number of 96 runs with 2.6 overs to spare.

Jubilation for the Cayman Prep contingent and heartbreak for the girls and boys from the Eastern District but the quality on display from both schools indicates that primary school cricket is in a good place.

In the third-place game, Joanna Clarke Primary overcame St. Ignatius Catholic 82 runs to 81 runs to end their season on a high.

The Inter-Primary Cricket Competition was organised and coordinated by the Department of Education Services and the Department of Sports and sponsored by CUC and the Cayman Cricket Association.