McGill Super Stars Sports Club defeat MMZ Sports Club by 63 runs

— in WDCA season opener

The last they had engaged in competitive cricket was in August 2020, because of the restrictions imposed on sport by the presence of COVID-19; but in a match played in full compliance with all COVID-19 regulations, the McGill Super Stars Sports Club opposed the mercurial Meten-Meer-Zorg Sports Club in a 30-over affair at the MMZ Ground, and prevailed by 63 runs.
Meten-Meer-Zorg SC won the toss and invited the visiting McGill Super Stars SC to take first strike. Although they started their innings in shaky fashion, the McGill side somehow found enough fortitude to shake off the rust and commit to giving a good account of themselves, thanks to former national youth captain Travis Persaud, who scored a shot-filled 36 runs off 20 balls, inclusive of 6 boundaries.
The vicissitudes of the game changed when McGill lost opener Asif Mohamed via run- out for 2 runs, leaving the score at 33-1 in the 7th over. Former national youth player Daniel Basdeo then joined Persaud, and the duo took the score to 49 before Persaud fell for 36, bowled by off-spinner Jermaine Maxwell in the 9th over.
Mc Gill then lost Diquan Murray for 5 in the 11th over, bowled by Maxwell when the score was at 57-3.
Basdeo and Troy Persaud tried to steady the ship, and produced a 14-run partnership, but Basdeo (17) was caught at long-on off the bowling of Maxwell in the 13th over, when the score was at 71-4; and Mc Gill then lost Abdul Razack (0) and Troy Persaud (18) in quick succession, respectively bowled by off-spinners Sheldon Alexander and Jermaine Maxwell, to leave the score at 97-6 at the end of 19 overs.
Ganesh Puran and Balram Airan then put together a valuable 53-run partnership before Puran fell for a well-played 35 off 15 balls, inclusive of 4 fours and 2 sixes. He fell lbw to off-spinner Randy Lindore in the 24th over, when the score was at 150-7.
However, Balram Airan (37*) and Prahalad Singh (26*) took the score to 195-7 at the end of the innings without any further hiccups.
The MMZ SC commenced their innings in bullet-like manner, scoring 79 runs in the first 9 overs before losing their first wicket – that of Sheldon Alexander, who was bowled for 58 by off-spinner Abdul Razack.
Former national youth left-arm spinner Kheshram Seyhodan bowled Jermaine Maxwell (17) with the very next ball, to leave the score at 82-2. Malcolm Hubbard and Randy Lindore tried to negotiate Mc Gill’s strong spin attack, but Hubbard eventually fell for 14, caught off the bowling of former national youth left-arm seamer Daniel Basdeo when the score was at 102-3 in the 17th over.
MMZ then found themselves in deep trouble, losing 5 wickets for 14 runs. Dinesh George (0) was out lbw to speedster Diquan Murray; Adrian Johnson (2) was caught at cover off the bowling of Basdeo; Leroy Miggins was stumped off the bowling of Razack; Derrick Foo (4) was caught off the bowling of leg-spinner Ganesh Puran; and Randy Lindore (15) was stumped off the bowling of Puran.
Off-spinner Travis Persaud then removed Arjune Sookdeo for 9 in the 24th over, when the score was at 123-9; and Razack returned to remove Hemraj Persaud (0) with the very next over, to close MMZ’s innings at 131 all out in 29.3 overs.