Caribbean Sports Network

EXCELLENT fielding enabled Queen’s Park to be crowned Carib Sunday League champions in a rain-affected final yesterday at the Oval in Port-of-Spain. The Parkites defeated SIS Central Sports Invaders by 21 runs with former West Indies player Ricardo Powell and allrounder Shastri Samaroo changing the momentum of the match with their spectacular work in the outfield under challenging conditions.

Batting first Queen’s Park were dismissed for 173 with one ball remaining in the innings which had been reduced to 40 overs after a two- hour delay due to rain.

“Man-of-the-Match” Kevon Cooper topscored with a battling knock of 35 runs and Powell made 24 runs as off-spinner Arshad Mohammed who was later named Best Bowler took five for 27 in an incisive bowling display.

Off-spinners Sunil Narine (3/23) and Amit Jaggernauth (3/26) set up the Parkites’ victory with Cooper sealing the result with an important spell at the closing stages of the innings to dismiss Central Sports for 152 with 12 balls to spare.

Central Sports made an aggressive start to their run chase with Joel Surujbally and Keddy Les Poris attacking Cooper and Rishaad Harris as they put 27 runs on the board.

Trinidad and Tobago spinner Jaggernauth was introduced into the attack and had an immediate effect having Surujbally caught for 12 by wicketkeeper Anthony Balgobin with his first delivery.

But Les Poris and new batsman Denzil James continued to build on the good start adding a further 38 runs.

James gave most of the strike to Les Poris who has been in good form throughout the season and looked set for a big score.

However Jamaican-born Powell swung the match in the Parkites’ favour taking a spectacular one-handed catch at mid-wicket to remove Les Poris who mistimed a shot of Narine.

His dismissal triggered a collapse in the Central Sports’ batting lineup which saw them lose their next six wickets for the addition of only 47 runs.

Samaroo accounted for Troy Cornelius who was run out with a direct hit before taking a stunning catch at mid-off to claim the prized wicket of Gary Mathurin attempting an ill-fated cover drive off Narine. Jaggernauth kept the pressure on the Central Sports batsman and used his flight and change of pace to secure with wickets of Denzil James and Adesh Dass.

Narendra Bridgelal tried to hit his team out of the trouble scoring 20 runs from 12 balls, but was bowled by Cooper who showed his experience with a clinical spell to ensure victory.

Earlier, the Parkites’ opening pair of Runako Morton and Nicholas Alexis made a slow start after being inserted to take first strike. Central Sports employed an all spin attack with experienced bowlers Mathurin and Bridgelal hitting an accurate line and length to restrict the aggressive duo.

Morton showed the earliest intent of aggression lofting Mathurin to mid- off for the first boundary of the match while Alexis who has been in good form this season responded by guiding him through the third man region for the same result.

The Central Sports spinner stalled the Parkites’ innings as the home team found themselves struggling at 62 for three at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, Cooper and Powell launched an attack on the bowlers, withhis power and several cheeky cut and sweep shots respectively to great effect.

Powell was eventually bowled by off-spinner Andre Brown but Samaroo joined Cooper and maintained the momentum of the innings. Cooper pulled Dass through mid-wicket for the only six of his team’s innings but then offered an easy catch to the bowler.

Samaroo continued to bat responsibly until he was stumped by Navin Chan advancing down the wicket to off-spinner Mohammed.

The Central Sports spinner then ran through the Queen’s Park batting lineup using his change of pace effectively.

QUEEN’S PARK VS CENTRAL SPORTS INVADERS
Queen’s Park Innings
R Morton c Chan b Mathurin 13
N Alexis b Bridgelal 8
R Powell b Brown 24
A Hosein c Mohammed b Brown 14
K Cooper c & b Dass 35
S Samaroo st Chan b Mohammed 18
R Harris c Antoine b Mohammed 8
S Narine c Chan b Mohammed 14
A Jaggernauth c Les Poris b Mohammed 7
A Balgobin not out 13
S Penco c Brown b Mohammed 0
EXTRAS (LB10, W9) 19
TOTAL (All out) 173
Overs – 39.5
Fall of wickets: 24; 24; 51; 78; 121; 126; 147; 148; 171; 73
BOWLING: Bridgelal 8-1-22-1 (W4); Mathurin 8-3-23-1; Dass 8-0-42- 1 (W1); Brown 8-0-41-2 (W2); Mohammed 7.5-0-37-5 (W2).

Central Sports Invaders Innings
J Surujbally c Balgobin b Jaggernauth 12
K Les Poris c Powell b Narine 36
D James c Harris b Jaggernauth 15
T Cornelius run out 0
A Brown c Morton b Narine 9
Al Mohammed c Morton b Hosein 14
G Mathurin c Samaroo b Narine 4
N Chan b Cooper 26
A Dass b Jaggernauth 4
N Bridgelal b Cooper 20
A Mohammed not out 0
EXTRAS (LB1, W7) 8
TOTAL (All out) 152
Overs – 38
Fall of wickets: 27; 65; 66; 66; 75; 80; 96; 112; 138; 152.
BOWLING: Cooper 6-0-28-2 (W4); Harris 6-1-26-0; Jaggernauth 8-0- 26-3; Narine 8-1-23-3; Hosein 2-0-20-1; Powell 4-0-28-0 (W2).
Man-of-the-Match: Kevon Cooper
Best Bowler: Arshad Mohammed
Best Batsman: Kevon Cooper
Best Fieldsman: Navin Chan