Preysal are Sunday cricket kings

CLICO PREYSAL were crowned 2003 Carib Sunday League cricket champions after whipping PowerGen by an emphatic 101 runs in the final at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre.

Scores: CLICO PREYSAL 296/7.  POWERGEN 195.

After Preysal openers Dinesh Ramdin and Andy Jackson posted 83 runs for the first wicket in Saturday night’s match, there was little doubt that the Central team would walk away with the $30,000 winner’s prize. Electing to bat on winning the toss, Preysal got off to a great start with Ramdin and Jackson flaying the wayward PowerGen bowling to all parts of the ground. Ramdin played some beautiful strokes allround the wicket, while Jackson was typically brutal. The left-handed Jackson was the first to go for a whirlwind 40 which came off only 29 balls with seven fours.

Enter Keith Arthurton and the massacre continued, as the ex-West Indies batsman scored a rapid 21 including a towering six off Amit Jaggernauth, before the West Indies ‘B’ team bowler out-foxed him in the same over. His dismissal slowed the run-rate and Ramdin fell soon after trying to accelerate. He fell for 41 off 70 balls with eight fours, one of which smashed a  window in the PowerGen Sports Club and ended on a pool table. Skipper Babwah came and went for only 19, but former West Indies Under-15 batsman Aaron Ragoonath and the very talented Hollister Pajotte played sensible cricket to ensure PowerGen never got back into the game. Ragoonath fell near the end for 58 off  76 balls with seven fours and one six. Pajotte entertained the small crowd with some superb hitting, none better than  a six driven over extra-cover. His 43 was scored off 46 balls and included three sixes.

CLICO Preysal were 267 for seven wickets with one over to be bowled by Dave Mohammed. But the West Indies spinner received one of the worst beatings of his short career, as Tobagonian Nevin Stuart clobbered him for four sixes and a four in an over which cost 29 runs. Facing the daunting task of getting 297 runs at 5.84 runs per over for victory, PowerGen were always struggling and were eventually all out for 195, despite Guyanese batsman Hemnarine Chatergoon with 54, and player/coach David Williams 30.  Skipper Samuel Badree got 22 in his team’s disappointing display. Ramdin was later named Man of the Match for his 41 and five catches he took behind the wicket.

Jubilant CLICO Preysal general manager Rangy Nanan said the team has played good cricket all season and they deserved the victory. “The boys really trained hard and it is nice to see them with the trophy. “We are not yet finished as we still have an excellent chance in the National League.” But a disappointed Chaitram Ranjitsingh of PowerGen said: “Firstly I  would like to congratulate CLICO Preysal who were the better team on the night. “They batted us out the game and batting under the lights was not going to be easy chasing such a huge total.”

Summarised scores:
CLICO PREYSAL 296/7 (50 overs) — A Ragoonath 58, D Ramdin 41, A Jackson 40, H Pajotte 43, N Stuart 26 not out, K  Arthurton 21, S Babwah 19, S Badree 2/67 vs POWERGEN 195 (39 overs) — H Chatergoon 54, D Williams 30, S Badree 22, Marlon Black 3/20, Eugene Antoine 3/38, Ravi Rampaul 3/44.
Honour roll  — Man-of-match: Dinesh Ramdin; Best Batsman: Aaron Ragoonath; Best Bowler: Marlon Black; Best Fieldsman: Dinesh Ramdin.