Parkites whip TT in practice match

After being set a victory target of 248 runs, the Parkites, national triple crown champions, celebrated a three-wicket victory when they replied with 252 for the loss of seven wickets in 48.2 overs.

The Parkites received solid contributions from skipper Justin Guillen 34 (one six, three fours), Jeremy Solozano 39 (six fours), Yannic Cariah 31, Darren Bravo 31 off 54 balls, Daron Cruickshank 36 not out, Nicholas Pooran 15 and Akeal Hosein 30 not out.

Guillen and Solozano provided the platform for the victory when they fashioned a useful 59-run first wicket stand in 12.6 overs.

Their positive start was followed up by the Cariah/Darren Bravo tandem that shared a 59-run third wicket partnership while Cruickshank and Akeal Hosein forged the winning unbroken eight-wicket partnership worth 48 invaluable runs.

In their haste to overpower the national team, Hosein, who will play for the Leewards Hurricanes in the Super50; was the dominant partner and smashed two huge sixes and three fours off 16 deliveries.

Khary Pierre and Imran Khan claimed two wickets each for 51 and 38 runs respectively.

Earlier, the TT Red Force, having been sent in to bat first on an easy-paced track, were bowled out for 247 in 49.3 overs.

Newcomer Nicholas Alexis topscored with 71 (1x6 and 4x4s off 105 balls), Jason Mohammed made 47 (1x6 and 3x4s off 57 balls) and Yannick Ottley 37 retired (not out) were the principal scorers for the Red Force.

Mohammed and Alexis had shared an 87-run fourth wicket partnership and revived the Red Force after they were reduced to 64 for three after 15.1 overs.

Alexis and Yannick Ottley added a further 73 runs for the fifth wicket.

But their efforts went unrewarded when the Parkites rallied under floodlights to register a thrilling victory with ten deliveries remaining.

Kevon Cooper (2 wickets for 21 runs from 6 overs) and Jevon Searles (3 for 36 from 5.3 overs) were the main wicket-takers for QPCC.

Shannon Gabriel, regular newball bowler for the TT Red Force was allowed to play for QPCC, his hometown club.

And he was responsible for removing Red Force’s reliable opener Kyle Hope, caught wicketkeeper Joshua DeSilva; for 26.

His final analysis was 4-0-18-1.

A victory for the Red Force would have been the right tonic and a great morale-booster for the Super50 which gets underway next week Tuesday.

But as defending champions and with their full-strength team, the TT Red Force will be striving to secure a hat-trick of Super50 crowns after having celebrated success in 2015 and 2016 when the series was staged in Trinidad and Tobago.