Leorayan Ramlakhan scored an entertaining 28-ball 90 for Maria’s Pleasure who were beaten by eight wickets by Sans Souci Jaguars in a rain interrupted final of the Badri Prasad Memorial T20 tournament last Sunday at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground in Good Success.
Maria’s Pleasure were off to a good start with Marsh Singh and Bernard Lewis adding 52 for the opening stand before Lewis was dismissed for first to go for 19. He was followed shortly by Kennard Lewis for 10 before Singh was run out for 32 (3×4) as Maria’s Pleasure slipped to 80-3. However Ramlakhan quickly got into his stride, driving Nokta Moses four boundaries before dumping Mohamed for a maximum over mid-wicket. The Right-handed Ramlakhan hardly put a foot wrong in a fine exhibition of power hitting on a slow pitch as he dominated a 103-run fourth-wicket stand with Raj Paul. He effortlessly deposited Beesham Moses and Zameer Zaman for maximums and soon reached his fifty off just 18 balls. The all-rounder then celebrated by smashing Nokta Moses and Daniels for sixes before flicking Zaman to the mid-wicket boundary. Raj Paul who played the supporting role well, was then run out for 20 before Ramlakhan who counted five fours and 10 sixes was taken off Nokta Moses who finished with 2-28. Paton and Mohamed had one each as Maria’s Pleasure ended on 203-5.
Oudit Prasad (standing at right) shares the moment with the new champions, Sans Souci Jaguars in the presence of WCC Secretary Nazeer Mohamed (standing second from left)
Following a rain interruption, Sans Souci Jaguars were set a revised target of 154 off 15 overs, and Nokta Moses and Zameer Zaman got their team off to a solid start with an opening stand of 55. Zaman was his usual aggressive self; he drove Leonard Lewis to the cover boundary before flicking Bernard Lewis for fours. He continued to play his shots and hoisted left arm spinner Singh over long-on before cutting Bernard Lewis viciously through point. Moses sweetly drove Bernard Lewis to the cover boundary before he was bowled by the said bowler for 25. After driving Leonard Lewis through covers for four, Zaman attempted another big shot but this time was outsmarted by the bowler-Lewis sent the ball wide leaving the batsman stranded out of his ground; wicket-keeper Pooran Persaud made no mistake as Zaman departed for 43 with five fours and a six.
Paton who had earlier shared in a second-wicket stand of 85 with Zaman, kept the momentum going. He deposited Singh for a maximum before smashing Leonard Lewis for consecutive sixes. Bernard Lewis then uprooted the stumps of Derwin Daniels without scoring, but that proved to be the last success for Maria’s Pleasure as Paton who took his team home with 2.2 overs to spare; they ended on 159-3. Paton who smashed seven sixes remained unbeaten on 57 while Beesham Moses was not out on one. Bernard Lewis claimed 2-24 and Leonard Lewis 1-25. Ramlakhan was named man-of-the-match. Nokta Moses took the award for scoring the most runs (251) while Bernard Lewis took the prize for taking the most wickets (nine).
The competition was sponsored by Oudit Prasad in memory of his later father Badri Prasad who was a businessman on the island.
