Fairfield United Assistant Coach Courtney Allen says he was confident of his team’s chances in the 2024 Social Development Commission (SDC) National Community Twenty20 (T20) cricket grand finale against Links United on Sunday after a strong bowling effort in the opening overs.

Fairfield of Manchester, the defending champions, went on to defeat the St Ann-based first-time finalists by 30 runs in front of a bumper crowd — organisers said attendance was as high as 5,995 — at Chedwin Park in St Catherine.

Scores: Fairfield 147 (19.3 overs); Links 117 (16 overs)

“By getting into their batting early, we had a good chance of winning. They rely on their top order, so removing them put pressure on their middle order, which they’re not accustomed to. It is always good to win a championship and it felt really good winning back-to-back titles,” Allen told the Jamaica Observer.

Links United Captain Othneil Pennant expressed disappointment after his team failed to capitalise on restricting Fairfield United to a below-average total.

“I’m very disappointed,” he said. “We did well in the first half of the game, but our batting let us down. The middle order played too many rushed shots, which wasn’t necessary. We just needed to take our time and apply ourselves better. If we had done that, the result would have been different,” Pennant lamented.

After being put in to bat, Fairfield United fell short of their minimum target score of 170, managing only 147 all out.

Zidane Gordon top-scored with 25 runs, supported by Captain Jamie Merchant (19) and Roshawn McKenzie (16 runs) against Tevin Gilzene’s impressive five-wicket haul for 19 runs from four overs.

Fairfield United’s innings got off to a rocky start when Jamaine Morgan (15 runs) was caught behind off Pennant’s bowling, leaving them at 20-1. Gordon and Javed Williams steadied the ship, taking the score to 57 before Gordon fell to Pennant in the eighth over. Gordon’s knock included three fours and a six from just 20 balls. Williams soon followed, dismissed for 14 runs.

Gilzene then wreaked havoc, removing Oshane Walters (11), Leighton Leslie (10), Merchant, Gordon Bryan (10) , and Richard Thomas (zero) to wrap up Fairfield United’s innings.

In reply, Links United struggled to maintain their early momentum when they were well-placed at 58-3 in five overs and were bowled out for 117 runs. Richard Thomas was the standout bowler for Fairfield United, taking four wickets for 17 runs from his four overs.

Links United’s chase started disastrously, with Damion Bryce (four) brilliantly caught in the covers by Morgan off Romario Marshall’s bowling, leaving them at 4-1 with three balls into the innings.

Gilzene and Renaldo Ingram stabilised the innings, putting on 35 runs for the second wicket. However, when Leslie removed Gilzene for 19 runs, followed by Marlon Johnson’s dismissal for five by Bryan and Ingram’s removal for 23 by Thomas, Fairfield United sensed victory.

Links United’s Amoi Campbell is clean bowled by Fairfield United’s Richard Thomas during the grand finale of the 2024 Social Development Commission National T20 cricket competition at Chedwin Park in St Catherine on Sunday.