First Citizens Clarke Road United secured the final spot in the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) Sunday League play-offs, despite losing their final round match to Central Sports by 36 runs, at the Invaders Ground in Felicity, yesterday.
Clarke Road was one of three teams – the others being PowerGen Penal and Preysal Sports – competing to join Queen’s Park Cricket Club I (QPCC I) and Central Sports in the play-offs.
By virtue of winning all seven of their round-robin matches, which included an eight-wicket victory over Alesco Comets yesterday, the Parkites will earn direct qualification for the finals after finishing top of the table with 21 points.
Central Sports, who finished second with 18 points, and Clarke Road, who came third with 12 points, will now meet in the play-offs with the winner advancing to the final.
Clarke Road and PowerGen, who defeated Preysal by three wickets yesterday, both finished with 12 points each, but Clarke Road advanced with a superior net rate of +0.081. PowerGen’s net run rate was -0.258.
At the Invaders Ground, Daniel Williams hit 104 off 102 balls with eight sixes and seven fours to guide Central Sports to 196 as they opted to bat first. Spinner Justyn Gangoo was the top performer for Clarke Road with five for 23.
The runs on the board proved to be enough as Clarke Road were bowled out for 160 in 38.2 overs, with Dejourn Charles top scoring with 46.
In yesterday’s other key match, Jason Mohammed’s second century of the season helped PowerGen to a narrow three-wicket win against Preysal at Syne Village. The final round contest proved to be exciting with Preysal posting 280 for nine with Crystian Thurton hitting 106 and Kamil Pooran with 57.
In reply, PowerGen crossed the line in the final over with Mohammed playing another match-winning knock to anchor the chase as the hosts rallied from 120 for four at the halfway stage to reach 282 for seven with five balls to spare. Mohammed was unbeaten on 133 at the end facing 94 balls. He hit 14 fours and three sixes.
Mohammed dominated a 95-run stand for the fifth wicket with Uthman Mohammed to get the chase back on track, taking the score to 215 in the 42nd over before Strassark Sankar removed Uthman for 30 runs (37 balls).
PowerGen needed 66 off 48 balls at that stage and Jason Mohammed delivered for his side, making sure he was there at the end to seal the wins by the same bowler as PowerGen scored 91 runs in the last ten overs with only three wickets lost.
Earlier, Thurton faced 129 balls and hit 12 fours and two sixes in a 138-run first-wicket stand with Pooran, who faced 53 balls and hit six fours and two sixes. The pair set the platform for a big total but PowerGen pulled things back as the partnership broke down at the halfway stage.
Preysal’s innings stuttered at the back with just 67 runs coming in the last ten overs with seven wickets down. In the end, PowerGen’s net run rate took a huge hit after their heavy loss to QPCC 1 on Saturday and not even yesterday’s win could keep them away from Clarke Road.
yesterday
Summarized
points:
Premiership 1 Round 7
In the village of Syne
Preysal Sports 280-9 (50 overs) (Crystian Thurton 106, Kamil Pooran 57, Navin Bidaisee 36; Uthman Muhammad 4-46) vs PowerGen Penal Sports 282-7 (49.1 overs) (Jason Mohammed 1403, Uthman Muhammad 33 no 30; Strassark Sankar 2/59, Sanjiv Goojar 2/64)—PowerGen won by 3 wickets
In the land of the invaders
Central Sports 196 (41.2 overs) (Daniel Williams 104, Keagan Simmons 42; Justyn Gangoo 5/23, Ahkeel Mollon 2/31) vs Clarke Road United 168 (38.2 overs) (Dejourn Charles 46, Justyn Nicholas 22, Ryan Austin 490 /29, Ricky Jaipaul 2/37) —Central Sports won by 36 runs
On Pierre Street
Alesco Comets 139 (35.5 overs) (S Rambaran 61, Reeval Ramnarine 40; Akeal Hosein 5/23, K Andrews 2/10) vs QPCC I 143-2 (20 overs) (Tion Webster 70, Isaiah Rajah 27) CCP no. I won by 8 wickets
At Queen’s Park Oval
Profile Victoria United 96 (24 overs) (Keron Kanhai 46; Dexter Sween 5/34, Namir Suepaul 3/13, Sion Hackett 2/27) vs QPCC II 97-3 (14.1 overs) (Kirstan Kallicharan 56 no) – QPCC II won by 7 wickets
