Bayley’s looms big in Barbados school cricket

Photo by George Alleyne

Mascot of the soon-to-be-legendary Bayley’s lifts the trophy among jubilant players and teachers. Partially hidden in background behind the hand of a player is World’s greatest cricketer, Sir Garfield Sobers (grey hair).

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Though the run of victories might be too short to for a conclusive judgement, events in a Barbados schoolboys cricket competition are shaping to produce legendary status for a learning institution in the parish of St. Philip, Bayley’s Primary School.

Earlier this month the 11-year-olds and under from that school steered their team to becoming the first to win four championship titles in the annual Herman Griffith Primary Schools competition through defeating challengers, St. Stephen’s Primary, by 60 runs.

To arrive at the point of the unprecedented fourth successive victory in this 39-year-old schoolboys’ competition, children of the St Philip school had chalked up wins in the final against West Terrace Primary in 2016, Reynold Weekes Primary in 2017 and Good Shepherd Primary in 2018.

Playing in front of spectators such as legendary Barbados and West Indies players, Sir Wesley Hall and Sir Garfield Sobers, Bayley’s Primary captain and Man-of-the-Match, Damarko Wiggins, won the toss and elected to bat. His boys posted 138 runs in their allotted 25 overs, but St Stephen’s Primary managed only 78 all out in 22.4 overs.

“We will be back next year for the fifth,” declared an elated coach Winfield Forde after the record-making victory.

Being already in unchartered territory owing to this unprecedented string of victories, and with the coach’s declared intent, Bayley’s Primary may be on its way to becoming legendary in Barbados schoolboys’ cricket.