Hosts UTECH Knights claimed back- to-back titles in the UTech Classics Twenty20 cricket competition on Sunday with a 16-runs victory over G.C.Foster College, via the Duckworth Lewis rule in the finals.

In the preliminary round UTech came out on top with nine points after three wins, with G.C.Foster finishing on four points, The Mico University on three and the UWI Pelicans on one.

In the final after making 161 for nine off their allotted overs, G.C. Foster in reply were 130 for eight off 18.1 overs, when umpires Milton Thomas and Courtney Francis called off play due to heavy showers.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the defending champions were off to a good start.

John Ross Campbell and Jeffrey Scott added 50 runs for the opening partnership, with Scott playing a cameo innings and scoring 37 of the total before being bowled by a slower ball from pacer Dwight Stewart.

personal score

The in-form Brian Clarke joined Campbell at the wicket and both took the score to 80, before Campbell's innings came to an end with his personal score on 56.

With the fall of Campbell's wicket the G.C.Foster bowlers put themselves back in the game with very disciplined bowling, led by Green and Stewart, as Knights found runs hard to come. After being 111 for three in the 15th over, they slumped to 132 for seven in the 18th over.

However, Brian Latore and the lower order batsmen added a valuable 29 runs, aided by some poor fielding from the G.C.Foster players, to post a respectable total. Damion Parchment with three for 38 and Green with two for 21 were the top wicket takers for G.C.Foster College.

G.C. Foster started their reply on a positive note as opener Wayne Morgan scored a quick 31 off 39 balls. He had an opening partnership of 39 with Phillip Pinnock before he departed caught off the bowling of Ransford Merchant. Three runs later Pinnock skied a catch to silly mid-on to be out with the score on 42.

With skipper Oneil Wright along with Merchant bowling well, they pegged back the G.C. Foster batsmen despite a gallant innings from Dervel Green who hit a solid 42, before being caught behind the wicket off the bowling of pacer Damion Williamson . At that time G.C. Foster were well behind the run rate and with time running out, rain came at 3:15 p.m. forcing the players and officials to take cover with UTech holding on to their title. Top bowlers for the winners were Merchant with two for 17 and skipper Wright two for 18.