New Winthorpes Lions have secured their place in the finals of the Antigua and Barbuda T20 Premier League after their opponents, Empire Nation, were unable to field a team for Thursday’s scheduled eliminator match.
The forfeit was confirmed at Liberta Blackhawks Cricket Ground, where umpires, match referee, New Winthorpes Lions captain Nino Henry, and tournament organizer Donald Charles were present for the 2:30pm fixture that never materialized.
Empire Nation’s Head Coach Ian Tittle explained that the team had previously notified league organizers about their likely inability to participate in the mid-week encounter.
“Several of our players are currently working in Barbuda, making them unavailable for a Thursday afternoon match,” Tittle stated. The team has also been dealing with multiple injuries, further depleting their available squad.
“We had to make the difficult decision to inform the organizers that we couldn’t field a competitive team for this time slot,” Tittle added.
With this development, New Winthorpes Lions will now face tournament favorites Liberta Blackhawks in what promises to be an exciting final on Saturday, May 17, at the Ball Beef, Liberta Sports Club venue at 2:30pm.
Cricket fans will recall the thrilling encounter between these two sides last Saturday, where Liberta Blackhawks, batting first, posted a formidable 180 for eight from their 20 overs. The Lions mounted an impressive chase, reaching 179 for seven, falling just two runs short of the revised DLS target.
Saturday’s final is expected to draw a large crowd as supporters of both teams look forward to another nail-biting contest between two of the league’s strongest sides competing for the championship in the newly formed Antigua and Barbuda T20 Premier League.
