CLICO Preysal grab 20/20 title

Babwah, the Preysal captain, was named “Man-of-the-Match” after grabbing three wickets for 18 to help reduce MerryBoys to 118 all out in 19.4 overs.

He then slammed 42 in 35 deliveries to guide his team to victory with 4.2 overs to spare.

Hurley, the former Barbados and West Indies all-rounder had figures of two for 18 with his off-spinners and later got the central Trinidad team’s chase underway with a quickfire 21 off 15 balls.

However Naidoo was the deciding factor for Preysal as he lashed nine fours, mainly powerful drives through cover and mid-off, in his 48-ball 52. The slim right-hander executed a powerful square-cut off veteran left-arm spinner Ken Hazel to ensure victory for his team in the match played under lights, and a first prize of $28,000.

MerryBoys, who beat CLICO Preysal at the same venue in March for the Carib Sunday League crown, collected $17,000 for their runners-up spot.

Guyana and former West Indies all-rounder Neil McGarrell led the MerryBoys batting with 33 while former TT youth team player Kenton Thompson chipped in with 24. However the other batsmen were unable to get going against steady bowling by Preysal. McGarrell struck four boundaries in his 24-ball knock as he was promoted up the order, at the fall of openers Lendl Simmons (17) and Mario Belcon (seven).

Simmons, the national and West Indies “A” team opener, made 17 in 11 balls before he skied Kyron Lynch to Anderson Bryce at mid-off while the pacer induced an edge from Belcon to wicketkeeper Lyndon James.

Captain Lincoln Roberts tried to steady proceedings with 15 before falling to his opposite captain Babwah while Richard Kelly and Aneil Kanhai went in quick succession as MerryBoys slipped from 58 for two to 64 for five in the space of three overs.

McGarrell’s innings ended when he was caught and bowled by off-spinner Vishan Jagessar, who later knocked back the stumps of another ex-WI player Marlon Black (14).

The tail did not last long, with Hazel (0) and Reinaldo Sammy (two) making little impressions on the scoresheet, while Thompson was run out by Hurley.