By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Special Line’s impressive 2-wicket win against senior rivals Mid-West marked the gracious end of the 2023 edition of Cricket Sierra Leone Men’s T20 Premier League after 42 days of 20 competitive clashes among seven energy-embroiled clubs.
On Saturday, the seaside oval of Prince of Wales played host to thousands of fans from near and far to witness the best of finals in the 80-year history of Cricket Sierra Leone.
At 1 pm, the sun was right at the centre, and Mid-West won the toss. Using the opportunity to exhibit their strength and set a cruel target, they chose to bat first.
At the crease, Captain Edward Ngegba and colleague Alhassan Turay bowed forward for new balls and swung away hits for 30 runs in the first two overs. The start was sweet for a kid clueless about the next gift of a bitter pill.
Optimistic, Edward received 18 balls and scored 25 runs, taking four 4s for a 138.89 strike rate before being caught out by Special Line Emmanuel Mansaray from a ball bowled by Kasho Macfoy.
Shook beyond description, Alhassan Turay could only make one run off 7 balls for a 14.29 strike rate, before being sent out by the safe hand of Raymond Coker from a ball bowled by Aliya Kamara.
Mid-West John Bangura hit 34 off 39 as colleague Samuel Conteh had the only six for 14 balls scoring 13.
The gains of the Westerners plummeted in the 7th over and suffered much resistance as Special Line’s Captain George Sesay delivered dot balls as his senior colleague Kenneth Masinga dictated the reordering of fielders. This conforming pressure squeezed the Westerners to an unbelievable 126-run finish all out in 19.2 overs.
As fans sang beautiful praises, Special Line took to the pitch to chase 127 runs with Raymond Coker and Emmanuel Mansaray up for it.
Poor start, Raymond received six balls and scored five runs, hitting one 4 for 120.00 strike rate before his exit by the safe hand of John Bangura.
Emmanuel Mansaray made five runs off 10 balls, smacking one 4 but could not stay thanks to Daniel Lassayoh with a bowl by Samuel Conteh.
The rhythm changed in the middle order as Captain George Sesay took to the fore, receiving 36 balls and scoring 39, impressively hitting five 4s and two sixes for a 136.11 strike rate.
Determined to replicate a clean-sheet dominance, seven players from Special Line drove for the boundaries: George Sesay (4s and 6s), Raymond Coker ( one 4), Emmanuel Mansaray (one 4), Aliya Kamara ( one 4 and one 6), Ibrahim Sheik Kamara ( two 4s and two 6s), Ibrahim P. Kamara (two 4s and one 6) and Karim Kamara (one killer 4).
By the death over, the winning was on a pendulum: two runs for two balls! The Liners were on the verge of losing when Karim Kamara’s prized boundary for 4 sealed the fate of the contest! Special Line did it by the skin of their teeth, winning all six matches to leave an indelible footprint on the landmass of Sierra Leone club cricket. From grace to grace, they interpreted the context of determination.
Winning all matches from Division 1 to enter the Men’s top tier league and replicating the same at the highest level to lift the champion trophy is a fame to gain.
Caught off guard, Mid-West Captain George Edward Ngegba described his feelings for the loss as ‘devastated, gutted and hurt. Tough to take for all of us. He went on, “You win small battles; you lose some. But the learning never stops.”
For the prizes, Best Batter went to Captain George Sesay of Special Line and Best Bowler to colleague Kasho Macfoy.
Captain George Edward Ngegba won Most Valuable Player of the Tournament as colleague John Bangura went home with Best Fielder.
President of the Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association (SWASAL) Sahr Morris Jr. expressed his commitment to strengthening the partnership SWASAL has with Cricket Sierra Leone.
CSL Board Chairman, Francis Trevor Samura, described the attendance as ‘never once seen in a cricket final’. He promised to make next year’s edition bigger.
CSL Media Department
