Elroy Fernandes, Shaquille Brisport, Anthony Smith and Marvin Cheong were instrumental in taking Rising Stars to the finals
– Fernandes blasts 12-ball 60
One week after booking their spot in the finals of the Laluni T20 Cricket Tournament, Rising Stars have secured another spot in the finals of the Laluni Three Team T20 Competition, played at the Laluni ground.
Teams participating in this competition were Rising Stars, La Grange and Laluni Sports Club. As luck would have it, Laluni Sports Club drew a bye and thus advanced to the finals, leaving Rising Stars and La Grange to battle each other. Rising Stars then prevailed, thereby booking their spot in the finale.
With an unfortunate history in 2019 of contesting final matches only to lose and settle for being runners-up, Rising Stars broke that curse last weekend with a defeat of Laluni. However, fate has again brought these two teams against each other, and Laluni would now look to level the score when they face off in the finals.
In the semifinal match against La Grange, Rising Stars won the toss and decided to bat on a flat track. Skipper of the Rising Stars side, Elroy Fernandes, gave his side a blistering start by hammering a 12-ball 60, inclusive of 8 maximums and 3 boundaries.
In the process, he recorded the fastest 50 in the competition; and although his wicket fell in the early part of the innings, the damage was already done.
The in-form all-rounder Shaquille Brisport then came to the crease, and picking up from where Fernandes had left off, he again wreaked havoc in the Laluni camp.
With support from Anthony Smith, who blasted a quick- fire 30, Brisport took his side to a competitive total of 170-7 in their allotted 20 overs, ending his innings on 70, which included 6 sixes and 5 boundaries.
Replying, La Grange All Stars were never in the chase, and were bowled out for 89 in 14.2 overs.
Bowling for Rising Stars, Marvin Cheong returned figures of 3-10 in 4 overs; Shaquille Brisport recorded 3-14 in 4 overs, and Shane Persaud returned 2-7.
Rising Stars won the competition by 81 runs, and
will now do battle against Laluni Sports Club in the final.
