A heavy shower and a refusal to play from Jai Hind Jaguars helped Regal Masters reach the final of the Guyana Cricket Board/Tropical Springs Over-40 T20 tournament at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday.
The second semi-final proved to be the most controversial match of the tournament after rain stopped play with Regal chasing 98 for victory.
Atthat stage Regal were in cruise control at 43 for two after 23 balls with David Dick (18) and Chein Gittens (16 not out) doing the damage.
With the rules of the tournament mandating five overs to constitute a match, Jai Hind returned to the playing area but immediately walked off after seeing the outfield.
Initially the revised target was 80 from 12 overs but the target was further trimmed to 47 required off eight overs.
This meant Regal needed just four runs to secure victory but when Narine Deonarine took his run up, he slipped.
Kamraj Sumir then took an extended run up and in his stride slid on his back almost crashing into the umpire to which prompted another heated meeting among the match officials.
In total, 50 minutes of play was lost without a ball being bowled.
Speaking to Regal’s captain, Dick, the result was the right one but the display was not in the spirit of the game.
“First of all the game started nice and we had a very good game but the media was here and they see the team refused to play on more than one occasion and the game was awarded to us by the match referee [Totaram Ramnarine]…I think it was the right decision [but] I think that was a bad thing for the spirit of the game and I think Jai Hind did a bad thing for cricket,” Dick stated.
Jaguars’ captain, Veerapen Moonsammy was not in agreement with the decision taken.
“When we were playing couple overs were bowled and the rain came down and we left the field, like half-an-hour it was stopped, the umpires took off the tarpaulin and inspected the area and said it was suitable for play but when we were coming back the outfield still was wet, you could put your hand on the grass and see and we told him and they went back inside and returned and said we had to play,” he related.
Moonsammy went on, “They said according to the rules and regulations, once the umpires give permission to play, we have to [and] we tried to bowl and you see what happened, one of them tried and couldn’t and we had another bowler go back and bowl and when the bowler took his run off he slid down and that was it.
“This tournament is an over-40 tournament, not under-19. Its big men and you have to watch your health…so we are concerned for our players…”
Moonsammy expressed annoyance with the decision given and pointed out that the game was completely “different from softball, its big man cricket.”
The captain reckoned his team was still in the contest at the time when the rain came and were not prepared to surrender.
Earlier, Regal won the toss and inserted Jaguars who were on the back foot for most of their innings and eventually scampered to 97 all out in 20 overs.
Gittens removed both openers in the first over while Conrad Boele made light work of Kamraj Sumir and Zahir Moakan to see Jaguars slip to 11 for five by the end of the fourth over.
Moonsammy looked to extend his side’s undefeated streak and was even gifted a life on 25 after being dropped at long on but a mix up between him and Anil Beharry sent him on his way for 38. Moonsammy’s 36-ball innings was laced with three sixes and one four.
Two balls later, Beharry top edged a simple catch to the wicketkeeper off Eon Abel to depart for 21 off 16 balls. The 51-year-old stroked two fours and one six.
Scoring became difficult for Jaguars and Ramalinggum Mangali took 18 balls to get off the mark. He was eventually dismissed for five from 25 balls.
A cameo from Rafiek Kassim (10) was a little too late. Gittens ended with four for eight while Boele bagged two for 11.
Earlier in the first semi-final and the battle of the West Demerara sides, WD Masters defeated WD Mavericks by five wickets to advance to today’s final.
Early morning showers forced an hour’s delay to the start of play but cleared up.
After the first over, rain intervened once more and forced the contest to be reduced to 15 overs per side. Mavericks duly reached 67 for eight while Masters cruised to 68 for five with 14 balls to spare.
Mavericks’ batting never got going and Muneshwar Balgobin top scored with 24 while Sodan Bedessi, who was dropped off his first ball, went on to make 20.
Rain interrupted once more in the eighth over with Mavericks struggling at 33 for two.
Ramesh Thakur removed Mohan Chatram and Lalta Suknanan to finish with two for 12.
Chabiraj Ramcharran continued his knack of getting early breakthroughs to eventually end with three for eight.
Masters had a horrid start as they slipped to 16 for four in the sixth over. However, a masterful innings by skipper, Sudesh Persaud, piloted the chase. Persaud showed his ability to turn over the strike and built a 20-run fifth wicket partnership with Prahalad Singh (08) before Patrick Khan came to end the innings in style with 11 not out.
Devendra Ramdehol ended with two for three while Suknanan supported with 18 for two.
The final is booked for Everest at 12.00 hours today but according to the organisers, “if the condition looks unfavourable, it will be moved to Enmore Community Centre.”
