Middlesex finish the job, crush Surrey to lift Kingston Wharves U15 crown

Middlesex made certain there would be no repeat of last year’s anticlimax.

A year after bad light forced them to share the Kingston Wharves Under-15 Cricket Competition trophy with Surrey, Middlesex returned to the JDF Up Park Camp Cricket Ground recently and left with the championship all to themselves.

And they did it emphatically.

Middlesex demolished Surrey for just 73 runs before racing to 74 without losing a wicket, completing a commanding 10-wicket victory in the final of the 35th staging of the competition.

It was a performance built on disciplined bowling, ruthless execution and a batting response that left Surrey with nowhere to hide.

Edwards sets the tone

The foundation for Middlesex’s triumph was laid with the ball.

Surrey appeared well positioned after reaching 37 without loss, but the promising start quickly evaporated as Middlesex captain Andino Edwards ripped through the batting order.

Edwards produced the outstanding bowling performance of the final, taking six wickets for 13 runs in 9.1 overs.

Najae Wright provided excellent support, claiming three for 27 from his 10 overs.

The pressure eventually became too much for Surrey, who lost wickets in clusters.

Ricardo Clarke top-scored with 19, while captain Rajae McGeachy made 12. They were the only Surrey batsmen to reach double figures.

From 37 without loss, Surrey collapsed to 73 all out.

Wolliston, Johnson finish the job

Middlesex needed only 74 to claim the trophy, and there was never a hint of a stumble.

Daniel Wolliston struck an unbeaten 36, while Jeremiah Johnson added 27 not out as Middlesex completed the chase without losing a wicket.

The 74-run opening partnership brought the match to a swift conclusion and underscored the gulf between the teams on the day.

For coach Oral Simpson, however, the victory was anything but accidental.

He said Middlesex had spent the entire season preparing specifically for the possibility of another showdown with Surrey.

“We have been preparing for this from we assembled as a Middlesex team. We spoke about what happened last year and we did our research,” Simpson said.

The coach explained that Middlesex had already defeated Surrey earlier in the competition and used that encounter to identify areas requiring further attention.

“They won the toss, they decided to bat, which we wanted them to do and the bowlers put the ball in the right areas. We took our chances and got them all for 73,” he said.

Simpson also credited the work done with the batsmen in preparation for Surrey’s spin attack.

“The batters, we know that they were going to get their spinners involved. We worked on that throughout the week leading up to this final and I think the batsmen, they did exceptionally well,” he said.

For Middlesex, the objective was never simply to reach the final.

“This wasn't about just coming to a final. We prepared for this final because we did not want to share it like what happened last year so the boys worked extremely hard to get the job done today,” Simpson said.

Surrey's promising start unravels

Surrey coach Raymond Hart could only watch as his team's early promise disappeared.

His side had reached 37 without loss and appeared to have established the platform needed for a competitive total.

Then everything changed.

“We started off well at 37 without loss and then the door just break off and everything just fell apart from there,” Hart said.

Still, he acknowledged that Surrey had been beaten by a Middlesex attack that maintained its discipline rather than relying on risky deliveries.

“But still we got to give some credit to Middlesex who I think bowled well. They weren't trying to get away with every delivery. They were in a good area most of the time and we just had to make the mistakes,” he said.

Those mistakes proved costly.

Edwards sweeps the top awards

Edwards' match-winning contribution earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the final, as well as the MVP honor for the winning team.

Surrey captain McGeachy collected the MVP award for the runner-up side.

Middlesex opener Johnson was rewarded for consistency throughout the competition, taking home the trophy for most runs after compiling 209.

Surrey's Ansel Crawford claimed the bowling award after finishing the competition with 23 wickets.

The final was followed by an awards ceremony that extended the day's celebration beyond the cricket itself.

Every player from both the winning and runner-up teams received a Kingston Wharves bursary toward school expenses, along with a knapsack and water bottle.

Two players also received full scholarships to cover their high-school expenses, while four participants were recognized by the Jamaica Defence Force for outstanding contributions during the two-week camp at Manley Horne Park in St. Elizabeth.

Kingston Wharves puts education at the center

The scholarships went to Jayden Newell of Muro College and Taviano Campbell of Black River High.

Kingston Wharves CEO Mark Williams said the awards were designed to recognize perseverance while also supporting the academic development of young players.

“We would have had scholarships before at the university level but what I wanted to do today was to recognize and celebrate resilience,” Williams said.

He specifically highlighted youngsters from western Jamaica who had been severely affected by Hurricane Melissa but still participated in the camp.

“Those youngsters from the West that were severely affected by hurricane Melissa, they came out for the camp. We hosted over 100 youngsters and from all indications, it was well received,” Williams said.

The initiative, he added, was also intended to acknowledge academic achievement and provide tangible assistance.

“What we wanted to do also was to acknowledge academic performance and how we can assist in that so what we did today was to give two additional scholarships to two young men from the West,” he said.

JDF camp extends beyond cricket

The Jamaica Defence Force also recognized four participants for their contributions during the camp.

Newell was named most outstanding participant, Janavia Williams received the leadership excellence award, Vinroy Dell was recognized for sportsmanship and Adriel Allen was honored for outstanding support.

Lieutenant Carl Budhoo said the camp had deliberately been designed to develop young people beyond their cricketing abilities.

“It was a very inspiring and fulfilling two weeks for the youths and also the residents from the community,” Budhoo said.

The youngsters participated in activities outside cricket, including mentorship sessions and a career day designed to introduce them to opportunities within the JDF.

“We had mentorship programs with the youngsters. Some persons outside came and interacted with the youths and we also had a career day expo there as well, to expose the youths and also the community to what the JDF offers and to instil some amount of discipline in the youths on the program,” he said.

A stronger year for Jamaica's youth cricket

For the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), the competition produced encouraging signs about the depth of emerging talent.

Oneil Cruickshank, the JCA's cricket operations manager, said the statistical performances pointed to a particularly productive tournament.

“I'm very pleased as the organiser of this competition,” Cruickshank said.

“When I looked at the statistics today, we had four young men scoring centuries, that is one more than we had last year.”

The bowling numbers were equally impressive.

“We had six bowlers taking five or more wickets in an innings, with three of them doing it twice,” he added.

Cruickshank believes those numbers demonstrate meaningful progress.

“So the performances indicate that it has been a better year than last year so that is good,” he said.

U15 team set for regional challenge

The competition will now feed into Jamaica's broader youth development program.

JCA First Vice President Fritz Harris said selectors have used the Kingston Wharves competition to identify players for Jamaica's Under-13 and Under-15 squads.

“What we intend to do with the program now, we are in every dialogue with the government of Jamaica in terms of our youth programs because our youth programs are in dire need for support,” Harris said.

The Under-15 team is expected to participate in a regional tournament next year, while discussions are underway with other Caribbean cricket boards to provide additional opportunities for the Under-13 players.

“The Under-15 squad will participate in the regional tournament next year. The Under 13s, the president is currently in dialogue with other Caribbean boards to arrange some sort of matches for them, a mini-tournament I may say,” Harris said.

For Middlesex, however, the immediate priority was simpler.

They had returned to the final determined not to share the trophy again.

This time, there was no bad light, no split championship and no unfinished business.

Just a dominant 10-wicket victory, and a trophy belonging solely to Middlesex.