Deonarine, Kippins guide Regal Masters to Independence Cup win
Ramesh Deonarine and Throy Kippins scripted an almost perfect day at the Everest Cricket Club last Sunday, when the in-form Regal “Masters” won the Independence Softball tournament playing against the Mike’s Wellman team.
Set 165 runs to win from 20 overs, the pair got together in the second over when the score was 7 for 1, after Eion Abel had been caught off the bowling of Greg DeFranca, and ended the match with Kippins left not out on 60 scored off 43 balls(5×4,4×6), and Deonarine left unbeaten on 95 scored from 54 balls (1×4,10×6).
Regal Masters’ are the Independence Cup 2019 champions
Kippins played his innings aggressively, while the left-handed Essequibian Deonarine mixed defence with attack, bringing the crowd to life with some late hitting that hastened the run chase. He ended the match by stroking Latchman Kallicharran to short cover for the winning run when he was just six runs short of a century.
Mike’s Wellman had earlier reached a respectable 164-7 from their 20 overs after opting to bat. Wellman’s total was built around openers Mahesh Chunilall (35) and Greg DeFranca (25), who put on 56 runs for the first wicket. However, not much could be added to the foundation once Regal Masters got the breakthrough, in the seventh over when DeFranca was bowled by Kippins.
Wellman lost their scoring momentum and were suddenly 91 for 4 in the 12th over, before a late push by Nandram Samlall with 30, Eon Lovell with 23 and Wayne Jones with 18 bumped the score to 164.
Fazleem Mohamed (2/30) and David Harper (2/37) were the leading Regal Masters bowlers, while Roy “Boy-Ju” Persaud, Parmanand “Pacer” Persaud and Kippins picked up one scalp each.
This annual tournament was organised by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL), and play was used as preparation for the New York Softball Cricket League’s Independence Cup tournament, which will be played from June 28 to 30 in the ‘Big Apple.’ Regal Masters are defending champions of the Masters title, and will be confident of repeating as champions when the tournament gets underway on June 28.
