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SUNDAY CHRONICLE July 6, 2014
Guyanese continue domination in Canadian cricket …Crandon, Hanif and Montfort excel By Frederick Halley TORONTO – Several prominent past and current Guyanese cricketers have been playing major roles in the various divisional matches here as the 2014 season swings into full gear. Highlighting the several outstanding performances were centuries by former West Indies one-day player Royston Crandon who slammed a brilliant 108 for Vikings in the Toronto and District (T&D) Elite League, and former national wicketkeeper Azib Ali Hanif who hit an unbeaten ton for Gujarat Cricket Club in the Brampton Etobicoke District Elite League. Among the bowlers, offspinner Mark Montfort, who formerly represented the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC), had the impressive figures of seven for 30, playing for Brampton Masters against Vikings in the T&D Premiere Division, albeit in a losing cause. Crandon, who represented the West indies in a lone One-day encounter against
Royston Crandon slammed a brilliant 108 for Vikings India at Johannesburg in September 2009, was in sublime form in his first Elite match of the season, his 108 coming off just 83 balls and including five massive sixes and nine fours at King City. Crandon’s knock, along with 44 form discarded national openers Ryan Ramdass and Rajendra Chandrika (34) led Vikings to 283 for nine in their allotted 50 overs. Another national discard, Trevon Garraway took four for 55 for Victoria Park who were bowled out for 184 in 41.3 overs. Crandon returned to capture two for 20 in 5.3
overs while Rakesh Goberdan claimed two for 53. The Victoria Park side also included Guyana’s Under-19 skipper Eugene LaFleur, Anthony D’Anrade and Harrinarine Chattergoon. Crandon also struck 51 as Vikings reached 244 for seven in 50 overs against Gujarat Cricket Club who replied with 201 all out in 43.4 overs as the latter lost by 44 runs. The diminutive Hanif, who also played for Albion and Berbice in the Intercounty tournaments, stroked an even hundred as Gujarat Cricket Club reached an imposing 302 for seven in their allotted 50 overs. His knock included 12 fours. S Patel supported with 64, hitting 12 fours and a six. Opponents, Cricketers United, were dismissed for 211 in 44.4 overs with Hanif, who has now shed his wicketkeeping gloves, returning to claim three for 25 in six overs. Another Guyanese also among the runs was former national captain Damodar Daesrath who had innings of 67 and 64 for Brampton Masters against Vikings and Vic-
toria Park respectively in the T&D Elite League. Taking first strike against Vikings, Brampton Masters reached 299 for seven in 50 overs with Daesrath (67) and Canadian national player Rizwan Cheema (60) being the principal scorers. Vikings were 119 for eight in 28.2 overs when the game ended. Daesrath, who also represents Canada, was again among the runs, scoring 64 (six fours) as Brampton Masters were dismissed for 242 in 48.2 overs. Cheema supported with 45 while Garraway took three for 35 in his 10 overs. Garraway also returned to blast 61, batting at number nine in a losing cause as Victoria Park were bowled out for 170. His innings included eight fours and two sixes. Montfort’s seven wickets were taken against Vikings in the Premiere Division as the latter were bowled out for 234. Brampton Masters were 225 for six when their 50 overs expired, going down by nine runs with Montfort returning to hit 36.
Old foes meet again in Wimbledon final By Michael Hann LONDON (Reuters) - Old rivalries will be renewed on and off the court in the men’s Wimbledon final today when Roger Federer, bidding for a record eighth title, takes on top seed Novak Djokovic. While two of the game’s most recognizable figures meet on Center Court, their ‘super coaches’ will be pitted against each other once again in southwest London. Former champions Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg were embroiled in one of the All England Club’s fiercest rivalries from 1988 to 1990, competing in three successive finals with Edberg winning two of them. Since then the pair have turned their attention to coaching with Djokovic and Becker joining forces in December last year and Federer and Edberg following suit. “It’s going really well,”
Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic
17-times grand slam champion Federer said of his relationship with Swede Edberg. “My game’s back where I hoped it would be from one year ago. “Stefan is clearly a piece of the puzzle, so is my fitness coach, Severin (Luthi), and everybody around me. They make it possible for me to wake up every morning motivated, healthy, fit and eager to play.” The Swiss has not reached a grand slam final since clinching the Wimbledon title in 2012. Serbian Djokovic won Wimbledon in 2011, and last captured a grand slam title at the Australian Open in 2013, but he has lost his last
three major finals, including Wimbledon last year to Andy Murray. Federer has an 18-16 advantage in matches against Djokovic but today’s showpiece will be only the second meeting the duo have contested on grass. Federer won the previous battle in the semi-final en route to his seventh Wimbledon crown in 2012 and the 32-year-old also beat Djokovic in the 2007 U.S Open final - the only grand slam final the pair have contested. “I must say I’ve enjoyed the matches against him,” said Federer who will surpass Pete Sampras and William Renshaw as the only man
with eight Wimbledon singles titles if he beats the Serb. “We didn’t come through the rankings together; I was established while he was coming up. “But ever since he’s won grand slams and became world No.1, it’s been a cool rivalry, in my opinion.” Djokovic is itching to claim his seventh grand slam title. “It’s a good chance for me to try to win against him on his favorite surface, on his favorite court,” said the 27-year-old who will play in his third All England Club final in four years. “This is where he has had the most success in his career, winning many titles but I know that I can win. “I should have won a few matches that I lost in finals of grand slams over the last couple of years. “But it’s an experience. It’s a learning process. It’s understanding, identifying where the problem is, pushing for it and working on it.”
Digicel/GSA Senior National C/Ships
Upsets were the order of the quarter finals UPSETS were the order of the quarter-final round of the Digicel sponsored Guyana Squash Association (GSA) Senior National Championships which were played on Friday evening at the Georgetown Club courts. The first upset occurred in the Women’s Open Division when 2014 National Junior Under -17 Champion Larissa Wiltshire defeated her fellow junior team member 2013 Caribbean Under- 19 runner up and number three seed Victoria Arjoon by three games to one. Wiltshire won a close first game 11 - 9 and then again won the second game 11 – 9, but with score at 8 - 7 up in third game, it seemed as if Wiltshire would close out the match in three but Arjoon summoned all of her energy and won the next four points and the game 11 - 8. This, however, seemed to take all of the energy out of Arjoon and from being 4 - 2 down in the fourth Wiltshire won the next nine straight points to win the game 11 - 4 and the match three games to one. Then fellow Under- 17 junior player Taylor Fernandes was also looking for a major upset over number two seed Ashley de Groot, however, de Groot had other thoughts and even though all three games were very close, she (deGroot) was still able to prevail in straight games 11- 8, 11 - 9, 11 - 7. National Junior 2014 Under -19 Champion Akeila Wiltshire was clinical in her win over Kathy TenPow in the third women’s quarter final match, winning a close first game 11 - 9 but then won the second game 11 - 2 and the third game 11 - 6. The last Women’s quarter final was rescheduled to be played early yesterday as number one seed Mary Fung A Fat who sustained an ankle injury while training earlier in the day on Friday was down to play Alysa Xavier yesterday. The other major upset occurred in the first of the Men’s Open quarter finals when 2014 National Under-19 Junior Champion
and three-time Caribbean Champion Nyron Joseph defeated former National Champion and number four seed Regan Pollard three games to one. Joseph won a close first game 11 - 8 but then Regan won the second 11 - 7. Winning the second game took a lot of energy and strength out of Pollard as Joseph easily won the third 11 - 1 and the fourth 11 - 4. Overseas based former Caribbean Champion Richard Chin was clinical in his victory over Nicholas Narain winning in straight games 11 - 8, 11- 0, 11 - 5. Current National Champion Alex Arjoon easily overcame his former junior teammate Deje Dias also in straight games. Alex won 11 - 2, 11- 2, 11 - 4. In the last of the quarter final men’s matches Jason Ray Khalil was initially made to work hard by 2014 Under- 17 National Champion Ben Mekdeci, but eventually wore him down and took the match three games to nil. Khalil won a tight first game 11 - 9. The loss of this game seemed to deflate Mekdeci and Khalil easily won the second 11 - 3 and then the third game 11 - 0. Play also continued in the Men’s Veterans 35 - 49 category where all of the top seeded players won their quarter final matches. The only matchup which did not end in straight games was the match between Stephen Fernandes and Brian Yong which ended in Yong’s favour by three games to one, winning the first two games 11 - 3, 11- 9; lost the third 11 – 7, but then won the fourth 11 - 7. In the Women’s Open plate former Caribbean Junior Champion Andrea King was pushed to the limit by 2014 Under 15 Champion Rebecca Low but prevailed in five tough games. King won the first game 11 - 9 but then lost a tough second game 17 15. She bounced back to win the third game 11 - 8 but then again lost a close fourth game 13 - 11. She, however, held her nerve in the fifth and won the game 11 - 5.