Meet-en-Meer Zorg (MMZ) West was beaten down to size by McGillis team which was on fire last weekend as play continued in the New Line Aqua Farm 20/20 competition.
In the first game of a double header weekend for McGill played at MMZ West Community Centre ground, McGill having won the toss took first strike and rattled up 158-9 in their 20 overs with Ramesh Persaud 40, Prahlad Singh and Naresh Bedasee 19 being their main contributors to the final total.
In the bowling department Ashid Ali and Vinod Rajkumar both snared a three-wicket haul returning bowling figures of 3-23-3 and 4-27-3 respectively and they were assisted by Feroze Bharakat with 2-23.
When MMZ west had their turn at the crease McGill’s Balram Aron with four wickets (3-04-4) and Sudesh Persaud 3 (4-24-3) were the principal destroyers as apart from MMZ West’s Seymour Evans with 21, no one else made any substantial score as the team folded for 73 all out.
In game two for McGill they took on the fancied Cornelia Ida (CI) team at the CI Centre and having lost the toss were asked by the home team to take first strike. Led by an unbeaten 73 from Naresh Bedasee and Prahlad Singh’s unbeaten 27 the team amassed 152-4 with Sudesh Persaud chipping in with an even 20.
For CI Bisram Thomas, 4-07-1, and Ameer Khan 4-23-1 were the wicket takers. When CI had their chance at the crease McGill ensured for the second day in a stretch that no team would make 80 against them as the CI team was shut out for 77.
In the bowling department Persaud for the second straight match put in another all round performance to lead his team home as he bowled a miserly spell of 4-1-06-4 and he was ably supported by Jagdesh Balgobin 4-11-2 and Balram Aaron 4-17-2. For the losers only Alim Khan 22 and Ameer Khan 16 put up any resistance.
For their two consecutive wins McGill became the first team to march into the Zone A semi-finals having amassed 12 points from the games they played so far.
Zeeburg on 12 points, Cultural Cricket Club and Canal No. 1 Sports Club are also on 8 points and are also in contention for the other semi-finals spots.
In games played in Zone B United Sports Club took on Western United at La Grange ground. Western Union who had to play two matches in one day proved that they had the stamina as in the match with United SC batting first and being bundled out for 89-off 17.3 overs with Erick Scott being the only batsman to withstand the Western United blitz scoring 23. In the bowling department Ramesh Sookram and Mervin Vyphius both took three wickets returning figures of 4-11-3 and 4-16-3 respectively.
Western United wasted no time in hitting off the required 90 runs rattling up 91-5 off only 12.4 overs and youth wicketkeeper Devon Cum-mings with 19 including two sixes and a four and Ramesh Sookram with two sixes in 15 ensured that their side recorded a five wicket victory.
Meanwhile in Western United second game they took on the previous week’s dominant team Malvern who proved their mettle but faltered. Western United who won the toss decided to bat first and posted a healthy target of 168 making 167-8 off 20 overs with Captain Fenton Persaud stroking a boundary-studded half century hitting three sixes and the same number of fours in 52. The captain was ably supported by Ramesh Sookram who slammed three sixes and a solitary four in his 26.
When Malvern had their turn at the crease their tormentor was again the captain as Persaud returned with his leg spin to strangle the Malverns as they almost overhauled the total in the most exciting match of the weekend. Persaud took 3-16 off four overs as Malvern lost their cool and the game, losing in the last over as they were bowled out for 165 in 19.3 overs, falling agonizingly two runs short of what would have been the upset of the weekend.
For their superb performance over the weekend Western United was not only the group winners but found themselves in next week’s semi-finals. In the points standing so far for Zone B Western United with 12 are tied with Leonara as Players and Uitvlugt are level on 8 points each.
All the semi-finals in both Zone A and B are set to be played this weekend to decide the finalists for the New Line Aqua Farm 20/20 Tournament.
