All-rounders Franklyn Rouse and Christopher Vincent were impressive as Paragon Sports Club chased down 181 to win their second straight game in Group B at the North Zone T20 on Sunday night at Diego Martin.
Rouse and Vincent took two wickets apiece in Combine All Stars score of 180 for 8 in their 20 overs with Earnil Ryan scoring a half-century.
The pair, along with contributions by Clifton Halls and Iqwe Craig then over hauled the target with 18 balls to spare.
Paragon beat favorites El Socorro Youth Movement (EYM) in their opening match, while Combine All Stars went under to Barataria Ball Players in their first fixture.
After a 52-run loss to Barataria, Combine All Stars needed put up a total of substance after they were put in to bat by Paragon Sports.
Mario Belcon provided a rollicking start, rattling up 42 off 27 balls before he was out at 60 for 2.
Ryan then held the innings together with 73 not out off 41 balls in an innings littered with partnerships that ended prematurely.
He fired seven boundaries and three sixes in his innings that saw Combine get to 180 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Rouse dismissed former team-mate Belcon in taking 2 for 24 while Vincent accounted for the big hitting pair of Frank SImmons (4) and Ray Campbell (1) in getting 2 for 28.
Vincent (36) and Halls (36) then provided the ideal platform for Paragon’s run chase with 74 off the opening 4.5 overs.
Rouse (37) and Craig then took Paragon to the brink of victory with a 63-run stand off only 30 balls.
Craig ended on 26 not out off 24 balls to take Paragon across the line with three overs to spare.
Rishi Rampersad was the best bowler for Combine All STars, taking 3 for 25 off his four overs.
Paragon take on Glenora Sports Club on 25 July, with Combine looking for their first win against EYM on 27 July.
Summarized scores: Combine All Stars 180 for 8 in 20 overs (Earnil Ryan 73*, Mario Belcon 42; Franklyn Rouse 2/24, Christopher Vincent 2/28), Kennard Maison 2/42) vs. Paragon Sports Club 181 for 5 in 17 overs (Franklyn Rouse 37, Clifton Halls 36, Christopher Vincent 36; Rishi Rampersad 3/25). Paragon won by five wickets
Turning to Group A, Dexter Sween turned in a superb all-round performance to power Santa Cruz Sports Club to a nine-wicket win over North Side Future Stars in the North Zone T20 tournament on Saturday at Diego Martin.
In a rain-affected match, Sween took 4 for 15 as Santa Cruz bowled out North Side for 70 in 10.3 overs.
He then battered 36 not out off 18 balls as Santa Cruz powered to victory in only 6.5 overs.
North Side Future Stars were on a bye for the opening round, while Santa Cruz went under to Savannah Boys by six wickets in a one-sided match.
North Side lost Kendal Guerra (5) to a disastrous run out of the second legal ball of the match and never recovered.
Sween got into the act early taking down Akeil Guerra (3) and Dave Samooj (2) in his first over.
He also dismissed Terrence James (5) and Darrel Dennison (4) cheaply as North Side stumbled to 70 all out with nine balls still unused.
Sween had 4 for 15 in three overs, while George Malchan had 2 for 5 in 1.3 overs for Santa Cruz.
Ramon Diaz hit 31 not out off 21 balls with four fours for the North Stars.
The North Zone 40-over joint champions lost Devon Sween (3) after a slow start in the fifth over, but the Dexter Sween show was already underway.
He plundered four sixes in his 36 off 18 balls in the company of former West Indies batsman Darren Bravo, who battered 27 not out off 11 balls.
Santa Cruz eased to victory with 5.1 overs to spare to win by nine wickets.
North Side will take on Pole 9 on 22 July, while Santa Cruz will face QPCC on 24 July.
Savannah Boys took on QPCC on Sunday.
Summarized scores: North Side Future Stars 70 in 10.3 overs (Diaz 31*; Sween 4/15, Malchan 2/5) vs. Santa Cruz Sports 71 for 1 in 6.5 overs (Sween 36*, Bravo 27*; A. Guerra 1/25). Santa Cruz won by nine wickets.
