‘Rapper’ blasts Regal Masters to title

Top-order batsman Eoin “Rapper” Abel scored a vital half century, while pacer Parsram Persaud took five wickets in extremely hot conditions to hand Regal Masters an easy 61-run victory over Better Hope Masters to win the Masters title in the 12th annual New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Independence Cup on Sunday at the Roy Wilkins Park in Queens New York.
Abel, who scored 52, walked to the crease to face the second ball of the match, after opener Mahesh Chunilall was taken at short cover off the first ball, when Regal won the toss and opted to bat. Despite the early loss, “Rapper” played his shots, which brought him success over the three days in the Big Apple, where he scored 250 runs including three half centuries in five games to be adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
At the 10-over break, Regal Masters had recovered from the loss of Chunilall to reach 75 for 2, with Abel on 52 from 43 balls and Mohendra Arjune on five. Abel and opener Throy Kippins (18) put on 60 runs for the second wicket against some testing Better Hope bowling, with temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius.
After the break, Abel, who won a prize for scoring the highest individual score of the tournament when he hit 90 against Tropical Springs on Friday, faced two more balls before he was sent back without adding to his six boundaries. His dismissal exposed the pugnacious middle order, which saw the new champions scoring 87 runs for the loss of five wickets in the second 10 overs of their innings.
Rudolph Baker continued his good run in the tournament with another counterattacking innings of 42 (6×3; 4×3) from 23 balls, while David Harper worked the gaps for 20 not out (14 balls; 1×4) as Regal Masters finished on 162 for 7, which turned out to be too much for the opposition.
Baker and Harper combined for 57 runs for the seventh wicket from less than 5 overs of positive batting. Bowling for Better Hope Masters, H Walker and G Singh picked up two wickets each.
In reply, Better Hope were sent packing for 101 in 18.2 overs, with Persaud returning figures of 4-0-15-5 which earned him the prize of best bowling figures and Man of the Match in the final.
At the presentation ceremony, team owner Mahendra Hardyal thanked the organizers for their hospitality, and stated, “The Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc representative teams’ Regal All-Stars and Regal Masters, are here to stay.”
Hardyal also used the opportunity to congratulate his teams, and to invite all teams for the lucrative Prime Minister’s Cup tournaments in Georgetown from October 19 to 21.
In the Pro tournament for teams with players over 50 years of age, Ontario Royal Canadian Masters beat New York President’s XI, while SVC All-Stars dethroned NYSCL All-Stars in the Open category.