… Ariel All-Stars open champions
By Timothy Jaikarran
It was a moment to celebrate, a moment that will forever be etched in the minds of the players and spectators as the curtains came down on the fifth edition of the PM T20 Cup.
Fisherman Masters and Regal Legends successfully defended their titles, while in the open category, Ariel All-Stars were crowned the new champions at Providence Stadium, walking away with the title in emphatic fashion.
Over-50 Category – Regal befuddle Wellman
In the legends category, Regal successfully defended their title, as the squad showed might and proved that age was just a number. The dynamic Regal Legends posted a whopping 171-6 in their allotment of 20 overs. Ramesh Narine’s responsible 43 alongside Unnis Yusuf’s 35 and Eoin Abel’s blistering 24 gave the side a competitive total worth defending. Bowling for Wellman were Jianit Lall (2-32) and Lloyd Ruplall (2-36).
Wellman needed 172 for victory. Were they going to chase it and upset the defending champs? Nope!! Because Regal had other plans and those plans entailed them retaining their title. In the end, Regal spun a web around Wellman and dismissed them for 79 in 18.3 overs. The main tactician in demolishing Wellman was Eric Thomas, who snagged 5-17.
Over-45 Category – Fisherman bait Ariel
In the masters category, the final battle ensued between Ariel Masters and Fisherman Masters. The exciting thriller was definitely gripping as both teams showed great fight. But Fisherman were too much to handle as they clipped Ariel’s wings to reclaim their O-45 title. Batting first, Fisherman posted 169-2 in their allotted 20 overs. Leading the charge was Troy Ramsaywack with a scintillating 72 not out. He was ably supported by Ramo Malone (38) and Jagdesh Persaud (37) while Sukhdeo Lakhan bagged 1-35.
Mark Phillips paid a special visit to the PM T20 Cup
Needing 170 for victory, Ariel stuttered in their chase as they soon found themselves at 21-3. Keith Fraser was the standout player, scoring a fighting 52; however, he was rendered no support and this saw the downfall of mighty Ariel for 147-9. Bowling for Fisherman were Stanley Mohabir (3-16) and Zameer Hassan (2-30).
Open Category – Ariel All-Stars, the real stars
The Open Category was a mixed bag: it had its high moments and its low moments, but most importantly, it had all the fire and drama that you would expect as both teams gave their all. In the end, it was Ariel All-Stars who stormed to a comprehensive victory, as they made the pitch that Regal struggled to bat on look so easy.
Batting first, Regal posted 129 all out, top scoring were Sachin Singh (23) and Patrick Rooplall (31). No other player was able to render support as Ariel kept things tight at their end. Jonathan Fernandez and Quintin Sampson bagged 4-21 and 3-7 to restrict their opponents. In their innings, Ariel were able to close out the game on 133-2 in 11.2 overs. Leading the charge was Shane Grovensor with 50 supported by Brian Mangar with 40, as Quintin Sampson chipped in with a superb cameo of 25 off 6.
Awardees and more
When all was said and done, the Man-of-the-Series Award for the open category went to Quintin Sampson of Ariel for his 231 runs and eight wickets, while in the masters category, the Man of the Match was adjudged to be Troy Ramsaywack for his 74 not out and Keith Fraser was deemed the MVP. In the legends category, the MVP was awarded to Unnis Yusuf for his 181 runs and two wickets while Eric Thomas was the man of the match for his 5-17.
