BRILLIANT BASANOO BATTERS QRC

When the ‘Saints’ of CIC and the ‘Royalians’ of QRC stand across from each other on the field of play, more often than not they create moments that are simply unforgettable. On March 11^th, 2016, the U-14 cricket teams of both schools faced off on QRC’s turf in a game that would provide the onlookers with a clear vision of the future, as between them they boasted an astounding 12 players who would later go on to play at the Championship and Premiership divisions of the SSCL. It was the perfect stage for young Leon Basanoo to continue writing his name into the history books.

The promising CIC all-rounder was already catching the eye with his brilliant batting and more than capable bowling. In the presence of some of the best talents of his age group and against his school’s eternal rival, he would rise above his peers with a commanding performance. Batting first, CIC would open their innings with Basanoo and the tall, lanky Keiron John. They started well enough, putting 34 runs on the board before the Royalians broke through with the wicket of John. Basanoo, meanwhile, had already counted 3 sparkling boundaries and one towering 6 in his first 8 scoring shots and was looking in a menacing mood. No doubt inspired by the level of Basanoo’s shot-making, new batsman Terrell Pierre would shelve the impatience and aggressive temperament that was usually his downfall and instead picked up regular ones and twos to keep the runs ticking and the strike rotating. After that initial salvo, Basanoo also settled into a quiet rhythm, content to keep the CIC scoring moving at a run a ball without taking unnecessary risks against steady bowling from the hosts.

When Pierre was eventually bowled for a solid 37 containing 3 lovely boundaries, the CIC innings suffered a mini-collapse that saw the Royalians quickly snuff out 3 more wickets for a paltry 11 runs between them. At this point, Basanoo would throw his innings into overdrive. He had progressed serenely to his half-century after his quick start, but now as wickets fell around him, he turned once more to his power game. As the reliable Matthew Gittens held firm at the other end, Leon tore into the tiring QRC bowlers. His next 50 runs would contain 2 more boundaries and 4 massive blows for 6 as the young star raced to his century. It seemed almost anti-climatic when he was run out for an even 100, but perhaps, on a day when he thoroughly dominated every bowler, this was the only way he could have been dismissed.

CIC would finish their 30 overs on 212-8, a challenging total indeed, but the Royalians had stars of their own to rely on. Opening batsman Adam Reyes would take up the mantle bravely, but his fellow batsmen would find the CIC pace attack too much to handle as they quickly fell to 44-3. Reyes would eventually find good support from Kylon Samuel, putting on a valuable 83 runs for the 4^th wicket. Once Samuels was dismissed, however, the innings folded quickly. Reyes soldiered on until he was 9^th out for a gritty 62, but in the end, his team would finish on 160, giving the ‘Saints’ a handsome 52-run victory and bragging rights in this chapter of their rivalry. For Leon Basanoo, it was another installment in what would turn into a remarkable season, by the end of which he would score 437 runs at the astounding average of 109.25. These achievements saw him cop the title of Junior Player of the Year at the North Zone awards as well as earn a place on the National U-15 team. The rest, as they say, would be history, as Leon Basanoo would go on to become one of his school’s most decorated SSCL players ever.