Lusignan made a successful defence of the Banks Beer-sponsored 100-ball title with a 65-run victory over hosts Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club under lights on Sunday.
Strathavon’s seven-wicket win over Lusignan East ensured them a third place finish.
In a country-like setting on the East Coast of Demerara, and with a capacity crowd and sounds systems blaring to an almost deafening tone under the clear night sky, hearts were broken for the home team who, like the last time, were defeated after only managing 85 all out in reply to Lusignan’s 150 for six.
Winning the toss and opting to bat, Player-of-the-Final, Robin Williams, piloted his side’s cause with a pugnacious 44 that featured five sixes and two fours.
Williams came to the crease, looking to take the fight to the bowlers from the first ball he faced, despite losing his opening partner, who failed to score. The left-hander favoured the mid-wicket and square boundaries, dispatching the quicker bowlers into the pitch black sections of the ground. However, his entertaining innings went up in flames after he picked out the fielder at mid-wicket millimeters from the boundary rope.
Williams, 19, shared in a 58-run partnership for the second-wicket with Somnauth Bharrat who made 21, laced with two fours and a six. Cameos from Gavin Boodwah (31), Kumar Bishundial (17), Steve Ramdass (15 not out) and Vishnu Ramjeet (14) spurred the defending champions over the 150-mark. Satesh Jainarine and Chris Surat picked up two wickets each for 16 and 26 respectively.
Enmore’s chase was marred by wickets lost at crucial moments. Imran Hassan and R. Singh scored 17 each while Chaitram Balgobin managed 13 but no other batsman got any substantive score. Teenage bowlers, Chandrapaul Ramraj (2-2) and Jagdesh Dowlataram (2-14) pegged Enmore’s reply back as they pushed the asking rate higher before Vickram Doodnauth (2-15) and Williams (1-14) struck the final blows.
After the match, Williams told Stabroek Sport it was a bit difficult batting under the lights but he looked to give his side a good start, knowing anything around 140 would be challenging.
Earlier, the third place showdown lived up to expectations of a final with Strathavon scampering for two from the final ball and surviving a close call for a run out which left the crowd in astonishment of a closely contested match. Started under the setting sun, Lusignan East piled on 180 for eight in their 100-ball quota with Strathavon reaching 181 for three.
Strathavon were calculative in their chase of the imposing but not impossible total.
S. Budhoo and Gobinraj Hemraj shared in a 130-run opening partnership that lasted 11 overs. Budhoo was the more aggressive in the partnership, hitting six fours and nine sixes, one of which landed on the windscreen of one of the spectators several meters over the mid-wicket boundary. Hemraj was comfortable playing the supporting role with 55 not out, decorated with two sixes and one four.
But despite this century stand, Lusignan East clawed their way back in with two run outs that eventually brought the equation down to 15 runs from the final over.
This was further reduced to 10 after five wides were gifted to Strathavon.
Lusignan East were indebted to H. Jailall who made 77 decorated with nine fours and five sixes who built on a first-wicket 47-run partnership between K. Jailall (24) and H. Balram (19) but with four run outs towards the back end of the innings, the lower East Coast side did not surpass their projected 200-run total.
