Regal complete clean sweep in year-end competition

Regal All-Stars took the steam out of Speed Boat with an epic performance to take the open title while Regal Masters ruled over Mike’s Wellman to complete the sweep in the Regal Sport Softball Tournament 2016.
In the open final which took place last Sunday at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Regal All-Stars took full advantage of a ‘out of gas’ Speed Boat team with a commanding 10-wicket victory in the final competition of the year.

An unbroken opening stand of 129 between Man-of-the-match Richard Latif and Patrick Rooplall anchored Regal chase against Guyana Softball Cup 6 champions, Speed Boat.
While Latif gradually grew into his stride, Rooplall was usual aggressive self as he dumped Greg Singh and Wazir Hussain for sixes before driving Sheldon Perch for four. Latif favoured the cover drive and executed it well taking boundaries off Perch before smashing Imran Khan for six.
Rooplall hit two fours and four maximums to finish on 52 while Latif struck six fours and two sixes in 51 as Regal achieved their target in 10.1 overs.
Earlier, Speed Boat were put on the back foot early when Latif bowled Lennox Marks (03) and Hussain (11) reducing them to 27-2. They then lost two more quick wickets to be at 39-4 before Anand Bharat and Greg Singh added 44 for the fifth-wicket, but Delroy Pereira ended the partnership with the wicket of Singh for 10. Bharat continued to battle but find little support as he ended unbeaten on 24 with three fours. Latif grabbed 3-13; Pereira 2-18 and Kelvin Olford 2-25 as Speed Boat were bowled out for 125 in 15 overs.
In the first match of the final day, Regal Masters defeated Mike’s Wellman by 37 runs.
Regal Masters posted 171-8, taking first strike. Having lost Mahendra Hardyal (03), Eon Abel (05), Fazleem Mohamed (00), Raymond Harper (21) and Mahendra Arjune (16), Lynden Lyght and Eric Thomas resurrected the innings fairly with a sixth-wicket partnership of 48 before Thomas departed for 19. Lyght hit three fours in a brisk 36.
The innings got the much needed impetus from Rudolph Baker batting at number eight. The powerful right hander hit a four and five sixes, including three in a row off Lakeram “Mikey” Singh. Eon Lovell had 2-19 and Latchman Kallicharran 2-20.
Laurie Singh bowled Greg De Franca (07) as Wellman lost their first wicket with the score on 16. Kallicharran and Nandram Samlall held the innings together with a second wicket stand of 37 before at a very slow pace however, they both fell within the space of three runs of each other to put further pressure on the middle and lower orders.
Kallicharran made 21 and Samlall 13.
The hard hitting and aggressive Wayne Jones and Nigel Estrado threatened as they shared in a fourth wicket partnership of 40 but when Estrado went for 22 so did the Wellman hopes of a year-end title.
The classical Jones hit four sixes in a top score of 47 not out off 27 balls as Wellman finished on 134-8 from their 20 overs.
The pint sized “Tony” Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 3-13 while Hardyal claimed 3-36.
Jones was named man-of-the-match.
The free entry tournament saw Regal Allstars and Masters collected a trophy and $100,000 each while Speed Boat and Wellman received a trophy and $25,000 apiece.