Pooran steers Central Sports to T20 final

Central Sports eased past PowerGen Sports by six wickets on Thursday and were due to face Merry Boys (who took care of Clarke Road by 15 runs on Thursday) in last night’s title match.

PowerGen were indebted to an innings of 50 not out by West Indies limited-overs batsman Jason Mohammed as they posted a modest score of 145 runs for four wickets.

In response, Central Sports relied on the solidity of Man-of-the- Match Pooran (41 balls, four fours and a six) to reach 150 for four with eight balls to spare.

PowerGen’s top order never got going, as the West Indies pair of Evin Lewis (14) and fellow opener Andre Fletcher (10) alongside Mark Deyal (six) all fell within the first 10 overs.

Ewart Nicholson (30 off 27 balls with two fours and two sixes) was dismissed shortly after by left-arm spinner Stephen Shaddick but Mohammed found an able partner in Jeron Maniram (30 not out off 22 balls with three fours and a six) as they featured in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 78 in 8.2 overs.

Spin seemed to be the order of the day with Central Sports captain Shazan Babwah, fellow off-spinner Royston Crandon, the left-arm pair of Shaddick and Rakesh Maharaj, and leg-spinner Kissoondath Magram, bowling 19 of the 20 allotted overs. Mohammed and Maniram capitalised on the 18th over bowled by pacer Jahron Alfred, as he was taken for 23 runs, including two huge sixes by Mohammed.

In all, Mohammed had three fours and three sixes in his 32-ball innings.

In reply, American-born left-handed opener Steven Taylor, who represented Jamaica Scorpions in the 2017 Regional Super50 competition, had a quick-fire 20 for Central Sports before his middle stump was shattered by teenage Grenadian pacer Ryan John – a member of the victorious 2016 West Indies Under-19 World Cup squad.

Kjorn Ottley struck 23 before he was bowled by PowerGen skipper and off-spinner Ansil Bhagan, while another off-spinner Mark Deyal snapped up Babwah (18) and Denis Smith (duck) in successive deliveries.

However, Pooran got an able ally in Crandon who ensured that Central Sports were not going to be denied a spot in the final.

The Guyanese Crandon (22 balls, three fours and two sixes) finished off the match with two lusty blows, over long-on and extra cover, off Windward Islands Volcanoes leftarm pacer Delorn Johnson.

Summarised Scores: POWERGEN 145/4 (20 overs) – Jason Mohammed 50 not out, Jeron Maniram 30 not out, Ewart Nicholson 30; Rakesh Maharaj 1/13 vs CENTRAL SPORTS 150/4 (18.4 overs) – Kamil Pooran 53 not out, Royston Crandon 32 not out, Kjorn Ottley 23, Steven Taylor 20; Mark Deyal 2/24.