Defending champions Santa Cruz Sports Club will be on a bye for the second round of the 2025 North Zonal Council 40-over tournament after a massive victory in their opening match.
Santa Cruz, who shared the title with El Socorro Youth Movement in 2024, will be spectators as Group A rivals Barataria Ball Players host Paragon Sports on Sunday.
Barataria were on a bye last week. At the same time, Paragon conceded 312 runs to Santa Cruz before falling for 86 in a one-sided encounter at the Brian Lara Recreation Ground in Santa Cruz.
Also on Sunday, North Side Future Stars will hope to build on their three-wicket win over Combine All Stars, when they face Ebony at Savannah Boys Ground, Queen’s Park Savannah.
Ebony was on a bye during the first round as North Side chased down 212 for victory in a close encounter.
The second round commences on Saturday with Pole 9 taking on The Harvard Club in a Group C match at the Barataria Recreation Ground, while Savannah Boys and Bourg Mulatresse meet in a Group D encounter.
Pole 9 fell to a heavy 229-run loss to Shannon in their opening fixture, while Savannah Boys were victorious by 162 runs over Invincible.
Bourg Mulatresse lost by nine wickets to Glenora Sports Club in their opening fixture.
At the Brian Lara Recreation Ground last weekend, Devon Sween’s lightning century fired Santa Cruz to the biggest score of the opening round—312 for 5 in only 30 overs.
Sween and Alvin Smith put on 84 for the first wicket off only 34 balls, before he scored his hundred off only 48 deliveries during an 89-run stand for the second wicket with Cleon Burnley (40).
Savion Lara hit 34 off 25 balls, while Ayden Antoine (44 not out) and Shaquille John (21 not out) smashed 53 runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership off 33 balls.
Arun Sooknanan took 3 for 70, the pick of the bowlers for Paragon.
Paragon got to 86 for 6 in 14.2 overs when play ended with Isaiah Hayes (2/3) and John (2/15) sharing four wickets.
Only Clifton Halls (40) resisted for Paragon before he was bowled by Hayes.
The win got the defending champions off to a positive start in defence of their title in Group A.
Summarized scores: Santa Cruz 312 for 5 in 30 overs (Devon Sween 101, Ayden Antoine 44*, Cleon Burnley 40; Arun Sooknanan 3/70, Christopher Alexis 1/57, Jim Harris 1/59) vs Paragon 86 for 6 in 14.2 overs (Clifton Halls 40, Joshua Williams 16, Natanjel Chadee 11; Isaiah Hayes 2/3, Shaquille John 2/15, Ayden Antoine 1-0) Santa Cruz won by 226 runs
At the Ato Boldon Recreation Ground in Santa Cruz, Glenora Sports Club crushed the home team Bourg Mulatresse by nine wickets in a Group B match.
Stefon Bissoon took 5 for 16 to restrict Bourg Mulatresse to 129 for 9 in only 26.5 overs, with Keron Balbosa top-scoring with 46.
Jerome Durrell (2/14) and Keon Mason (1/5) were also among the wickets for Glenora Sports.
Mason then blasted 83 off only 35 balls with 11 fours and five sixes to take Glenora to victory.
He set up the win with an opening partnership of 102 off only 51 balls with Revesh Gopaul.
Kenroy Williams then hit two maximums and a four in his nine-ball knock to end on 20 not out to complete the job.
Gopal had a more sedate 14 not out from 22 balls, while Sheldon Homer Rayley (1/24) had Bourg Mulatresse’s only success of the inning.
Summarized scores: Bourg Mulatresse 124 for 9 in 26.5 overs (Keron Balbosa 49, Benny Hallal 16, Anthony Durant 14; Stefon Bissoon 5/16, Jerome Durrell 2/14, Keon Mason 1/5) vs. Glenora Sports 130 for 1 in 10.4 overs (Keon Mason 83, Kenroy Williams 20*, Ravesh Gopaul 14*; Sheldon Homer Bayley 1/24). Glenora Sports won by nine wickets
At Invincible home ground on the Queen’s Park Savannah, Shannon registered a whopping 229-run win over Pole 9 to start their campaign with a bang in Group C.
Waylon George Joyeau led the way for Shannon with a bruising 115 not out off 102 balls.
He put on 114 for the first wicket with Nigel Benjamin, featuring in damaging stands of 66 for the fourth wicket with Kelvin John (39), and 79 for the fifth wicket with Sylvon Cummings (45).
Despite the carnage, Jai Seeramlal took 6 for 44 for Pole 9 off his eight overs.
Pole 9 never got going and only three batters—Ramesh Ramdeen (16), Marvin Ali (10), and Michael Shui Fang (12)—got into double figures.
Cummings bowled brilliantly to take 5 for 15, while Neil Cumberbatch also had excellent figures of 3 for 6, bowling only 14 balls.
Summarized scores: Shannon 298 for 8 in 40 overs (Waylon George Joyeau 115*, Nigel Benjamin 50, Sylvon Cummings 45; Jai Seeramlal 6/44, Ryan Mohammed 2/34) vs. Pole 9 69 all out in 19.2 overs (Ramesh Ramdeen 16, Michael Shui Fang 12, Marvin Ali 10; Sylvon Cummings 5/15, Nigel Cumberbatch 3/6, Lancelot McCarthy 1-1). Shannon won by 229 runs
At the Queen’s Park Savannah North Side Future Stars beat Combine All Stars by three wickets in the only match of Group B on the opening weekend.
Kwesi Fournillier had an excellent match for North Side Future Stars, taking three wickets and scoring 34 runs in the victory.
Combine All Stars got a half-century from Brent Lezama (52), with useful scores from Frank Simmons (38), Earnil Ryan (31), and Kristoff St John (30) in getting to 211 for 9 in 26.5 overs.
Fournillier was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 37, with excellent support from Darell Dennison (3/43) and Terrance James (2/38).
North Side started well with Terrence James (21) and Geleano Romany totaling 41 for the first wicket, before Fournillier came in to add 85 with Romany.
Romany fell for 51 off 47 balls, and when he departed, Fournillier hit 34 off 50 balls to steady the North Side innings after they lost three quick wickets in the middle overs.
It took a decisive innings of 31 not out from 34 balls from Junior James to usher North Side over the line.
Adrian Junior Burke was the most successful bowler for the Combine All Stars, taking 3 for 48 off his eight overs.
Summarized scores: Combine All Stars 211 for 9 in 26.5 overs (Brent Lezama 52, Frank Simmons 38, Earnil Ryan 31; Kwesi Fournillier 3/37, Darrell Dennison 3/43, Terrance James 2/39) vs North Side Future Stars 212 for 7 in 34.3 overs (Geleano Romany 51, Kwesi Fournillier 34, Junior James 31*; Adrian Junior Burke 3/48, Kareem Prince 1/21, Rishi Rampersad 1/21). North Side Future Stars won by three wickets
Finally, at Invincible Grounds, the Savannah Boys notched a massive 162-run win over the home team Invincible.
Praveen Ali set Savannah Boys on their way to success with 92 off 60 balls with 13 fours and two sixes.
The Savannah Boys opener and Sameer Ali (47) produced a match-winning stand of 138 for the second wicket in a total of 273 for 8 from 26 overs.
Migel Mahabir, who took 5 for 81, then top-scored for Invincible with 39 as they stumbled to 111 for 8 in 20.3 overs when the game ended.
Ryan Ali had 20 for Invincible, while Chetram Ramlal (3/15) and Vijay Teeml (2/35) shared five wickets.
Summarized scores: Savannah Boys 273 for 8 in 26 overs (Praveen Ali 92, Sameer Ali 47, Ameer Ali 22; Miguel Mahabir 5/81, Shane Ricketts 1/39, Ryan Ali 1/78) vs Invincible 111 for 8 in 20.3 overs (Miguel Mahabir 39*, Ryan Ali 20, Alvin Ramdass 13; Chetram Ramlal 3/15, Vijai Teemal 2/35, Sameer Ali 1/1). Savannah Boys won by 162 runs
North Zone 40-Over – Round 2 Fixtures
Saturday 26 April
Pole 9 vs The Harvard Club – Barataria Recreation Ground
Shannon – Bye
Glenora Sports vs Invincible – Glenora Ground, Queen’s Park Savannah
Savannah Boys vs Bourg Mulatresse, Savannah Boys, Queen’s Park Savannah
Sunday 27th April
Barataria Ball Players vs Paragon Sports Club – Barataria Recreation Ground
Santa Cruz Sports – Bye
North Side Future Stars vs Ebony, Savannah Boys, Queen’s Park Savannah
Groups
Group A
Santa Cruz Sports
Barataria Ball Players
Paragon Sports and Cultural Club
Group B
Combine All Stars Sports
Ebony Sports
North Side Future Stars
Group C
Shannon Sports
The Harvard Club
Pole 9 Cricket Club
Group D
Bourg Mulatresse
Invincible Sports
Glenora Sports Club
Savannah Boys
