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For so long considered the most exciting limited-overs team in the country, Cable & Wireless BET finally have a piece of silverware to justify that billing.

They journeyed yesterday to Kensington Oval to face rampaging Division 1 champions Police, and were so superior in every department that they comfortably won the Barbados Fire & Commercial Cup final by seven wickets.

Mighty Police, seeking to become the fourth team to win the league and knockout title the same season, always appeared likely to lose after a number off ill-advised strokes made sure they could only raise 135 in 35.4 overs.

BET, beaten in their only previous final three seasons ago, arrived at their target with four overs to spare. afterwards captain Brian Johnson was so overcome with joy that he was initially at a loss for words.

“I’m very happy. This is the second time that we have been here and … as I said, I’m so happy.

“We had a bad (Division 1) season, but for the knockout cup, the fellas played very well. They really wanted to win the cup.”

BET are loaded with young, gifted talent, but it was two battle-hardened veterans from the parish of St. Philip who were at the forefront of this triumph.

Lonelle Hutson, delivering his slow, teasing left-arm stuff, broke the heart of Police’s batting by removing Rudolph Clarke, Brian Corbin, Stanton Proverbs and William Callender in eight successive overs with the new ball.

Those four, like most of Police’s batsmen, were guilty of indiscreet strokes and predictably paid the penalty.

Only opener Ahmed Proverbs was able to hang around, and even he too had his problems in an aggressive innings of 48 of 61 balls.

Hutson’s figures of 8-0-27-4 would have looked even more impressive had he not sent down seven wides.

His job completed with support from Anthony Morris, whose eight overs of off-spin cost just 12 runs, Hutson watched fellow oldstager Rommel Brathwaite compile a typically solid, responsible half-century.

There was even more responsibility on Brathwaite’s shoulders when Police removed skipper Johnson and the potentially dangerous Ron Bates.

© The Barbados Nation