Police will do battle with Glenora in the finals of the North Zone Cricket Council’s T20 competition today, Sunday, from 5pm at the Diego Martin Sports Complex.
In Saturday’s semifinals, Police defeated Santa Cruz in the first match of the final four double header and Glenora beat Savannah Boys in the second match.
Semi-Final 1:
Police were inserted after losing the toss and had 19 overs to bat as some morning rain forced a late start to proceedings. That did not bother the lawmen at all as they posted 201-2 behind a blistering century from Dejourn Charles, his second century of the competition. Charles clobbered 2 fours and 14 sixes in an unbeaten knock of 120, his runs coming off just 49 balls at a healthy strike rate of 244.9.
Opener Nicholas Sookdeosingh gave good support with, by comparison, a pedestrian 39 from 36 deliveries. Sookdeosingh and Brandon Ramdial put on 48 for the first wicket before Ramdial was caught by Ronaldo Huggins off the bowling of Joshua Wong for 9. Charles joined Sookdeosingh at the start of the sixth over and together the pair added 54 when Sookdeosingh departed in the eleventh over, caught by Richard Arneaud off Keron Donald. The next eight overs and one ball yielded 99 runs with Brian Christmas scoring 21 of those as the Santa Cruz bowlers had no answer to Charles’ onslaught.
Santa Cruz’s reply would have hinged largely on their guest players Tion Wbster and Darren Bravo. Unfortunately, Webster could not replicate his form from the final group A game on Thursday and was out for 15 in the third over with the score on 24. Webster’s opening partner Devon Sween scored 11 after adding 20 runs with Darren Bravo. Alvin Smith did not trouble the scorers and when Bravo fell for 20 in the seventh over, Santa Cruz were 51-4. Keron Raymond and Ronaldo Huggins were the only other batsmen to score in double digits with 12 and 11 respectively as Santa Cruz crumbled to 98 all out in 17.1 overs.
Brian Yearwood was the main destroyer for Police snapping up four wickets for 19 runs, Deon Wells picked up 2-28, while Aaron Francois, Damien Brown, Mikel Riley and Nicholas Sookdeosingh took one wicket each.
Dejourn Charles was named Man of the Match.
Semi-Final 2:
Savannah Boys won the toss and opted to bat but were undermined by a brilliant spell of bowling from Stefon Bissoon. Bissoon picked up 5-24 runs as Savannah Boys stuttered to 114-7 in 20 overs.
Mario Belcon with 28, Pradeem Ali 26 not out and Riaff Ali 18 were the only batters in double digits. Sion Hackett and K. Williams were the other wicket takers for Glenora.
Glenora’s response was decisive as openers Kamil Pooran and K. Williams put on 105 in 11.4 overs before Williams was caught and bowled by Pradeem Ali for 71. Williams faced 44 balls and hit 5 fours and 5 sixes. Glenora suffered no further loss as Pooran and Hackett took them over the line in the 14th over with Pooran scoring 43.
Man of the Match Stefon Bissoon
