Barataria Ball Players crushed El Socorro Youth Movement (EYM) by nine wickets on Tuesday to end their chances of qualifying for the 2024 North Zone T20 playoffs.
Dejourn Charles had another monster game for unbeaten Barataria, taking three wickets and hitting an unbeaten half-century to give his team their third win.
The loss is EYM’s third in a row and puts the 2024 North Zone league and joint 40-over champions out of the running for the T20 crown.
Police Sports Club, won the 2023 T20 tournament after taking the league and 40-over crowns.
Charles took 3 for 15 bowling well with Camillo Carimbocas (3/30) to bowl out EYM for 133 in 19.4 overs.
A 58-run stand between Christian Lall (45) and Richard Ali (36) was the foundation of the EYM total.
Barataria scored over 10 runs an over during the first three overs before they lost Kevis John for 20.
However, Quammie Mohammed was joined by the in-form Charles and they hammered 103 runs off the next 83 balls to canter to victory.
Charles hit six sixes and three fours in his 68 not out off 44 balls, while Mohammed anchored the partnership with 35 not out off 38 balls with four boundaries.
EYM will close out their participation in the T20 tournament against Combine All Stars on 27 July.
Barataria will attempt to make it four consecutive wins on 28 July, when they take on Paragon Sports Club.
Summarized scores: EYM 133 in 19.4 overs (Christian Lall 45, Richard Ali 36; Dejourn Charles 3/15, Camillo Carimbocas 3/30) vs. Barataria 134 for 1 in 17 overs (Dejourn Charles 68*, Quammie Mohammed 35*; Akil Timothy 1/25). Barataria won by nine wickets
Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Sports Club gave every indication that they are rounding into form at the right time with a dizzying 88-run win over QPCC on Wednesday.
Kashma Mitchell, Tion Webster, and Dexter Sween smashed half-centuries while Christopher De Silva took four wickets in a satisfying win for the 2024 North Zone 40-over joint champions.
Only Namir Suepaul resisted for QPCC with bat and ball as the Parkites fell to their third straight win and were eliminated from the competition.
Santa Cruz has won their last two games after an opening-round defeat to Pole 9 and are coming into their own at the right time to claim a place in the semifinals.
Sween (54) and Mitchell got the ball rolling quickly with an 83-run stand in only 7.4 overs for Santa Cruz.
QPCC’s fortunes worsened further as one of their senior players, Tion Webster, joined the belligerent Mitchell to thrash 138 off only 71 balls.
Mitchell went for 90 off 60 balls with nine fours and three maximums.
Webster timed the ball sweetly to ratchet up 61 not out off 32 balls with five sixes and three fours.
Santa Cruz rattled up 229 for 3 in their 20 overs, the highest score of the 2024 tournament.
QPCC was never in the run-chase despite the best efforts of Kwesi Fournillier (25) and Andre Seetaram (22) at the top of the order.
Suepaul, who had taken 1 for 31 for the Parktites, hit a breezy 31 off 19 balls with the outcome already decided.
Santa Cruz needs to beat Pole 9 on 28 July to confirm their place in the semifinals, while QPCC closes out their tournament on 27 July against North Side Future Stars.
Summarized scores: Santa Cruz Sports Club 229 for 3 in 20 overs (Kashma Mitchell 90, Tion Webster 61 not out, Dexter Sween 54; Namir Suepaul 1/31) vs. QPCC 141 in 19.5 overs (Namir Suepaul 31; Christopher De Silva 4/12). Santa Cruz won by 88 runs.
