SPort
51
week ending july 7, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com
Guyanese batsmen dominate in Toronto
Hats off to Limacol/ NEW GPC INC
Sports view by Neil Kumar
H Ryan Ramdass By Ravendra Madholall in Toronto
S
everal batsmen from Guyana dominated over the weekend in the continuation of the 2013 Toronto and District Cricket Association Elite and Premier League 50-over competition at King City ground. Guyanese and former West Indies ODI batsman Royston Crandon stroked an impressive 76 to inspire Vikings Cricket Club to an exhilarating one-run win over Victoria Park Cricket Club. The right-handed Crandon hit five fours and a maximum to see his team reach 225-7 in the penultimate over, replying to Victoria’s challenging 224-8 from 50 overs. Former Guyana under-19 captain and leftarm orthodox spinner Eugene LaFleur captured three wickets for 59 runs from his 10 overs but it was in a losing cause. When Victoria Park batted after winning the toss, LaFleur proved his all-round capability with a steady 39 while contributions came from his compatriots Dominic Rikhi and Anthony D’Andrade with 35 and 21 respectively. At the same venue on Sunday, defending champion Brampton Master Tranzac Cricket Club humiliated Yorkshire Cricket Club by a handsome six-wicket margin. The losers were skittled out for a paltry 82 in 38.4 overs while Brampton galloped to 83-4 in the 18th over. GNIC’s off-spinner Elton Baker snapped up a five wicket haul to lead Civics to an emphatic seven-wicket win over Toronto Cricket Club. Baker, in his first season in Canada, also completed a hat-trick as he conceded 28 runs from five overs. When his team batted, they safely reached 136-3 with Travis Blyden hitting an unbeaten 41.
Royston Crandon
Meanwhile, in the Premier League division, Vincentian and former Windward Islands under-19 batsman Orlando Brown scored an entertaining 45 for Parkdale Cricket Club, defeating Ahmadiyya Sports Club by one run at King City. Brown hit three fours and two sixes as his team accumulated 1333; he got useful support from the in-form Alphie Gould, who weighed in with 36. Elsewhere, Caribbean Limers and Mississauga Ramblers Cricket Club were engaged in a tight tussle with the former emerging with another thrilling one-run win. Trinidad off-spinner Vinood Persaud produced a fine performance to lead Caribbean Limers to a tense victory. He took four wickets to keep Ramblers to 160 after his side made 161 from 41.4 overs. Richard Harris top-scored with 30. And in the Brampton/ Etobicoke 50-over firstdivision cricket competition, Guyanese and ex-West Indies opening batsman Ryan Ramdass once again was in supreme form, hitting another century to follow up his double-century a week ago. Representing Brampton team, the stocky right-handed Ramdass fashioned a brilliant 113 while he got admirable support from former Trinidad and Tobago first-class cricketer Avidesh Samaroo who chipped in with 56. When Britallan Sports Club batted, they were dismissed for 155 in the 39th over with only Shameer Adul putting up any sort of resistance with 37. Pacer Migel Seiwdas grabbed 4 for 35 runs. Notably, several other scheduled games were abandoned due to rain on Saturday and Sunday. The action is set to resume with a number of matches across the Greater Toronto Area, weather permitting.
ats off to corporate citizen, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, for his genuine support to the first Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as franchise owner! NEW GPC INC, through its Limacol brand, has taken the title sponsorship of the CPL. This impressive Caribbean cricket tournament will now be called the Limacol CPL. The Limacol Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 will be a spectacular cricket championship in the Caribbean. This first genuine, most attractive and well organised tournament will bring to the Caribbean quality cricket at its best. The franchise superstars from around the world will be playing with the Caribbean’s best. The very young cricketers with their potential and talent will have a well-deserved opportunity to play in the same team and against some of the best in the world.
Euphoria
Oh! It will indeed be a delightful euphoria to see the likes of Ricky Pointing, Ross Taylor and Muttiah Murlitharran playing with our Caribbean stars in the same team. The first-ever Caribbean Premier League is coming after the well-established Indian Premier League, Big Bash in Australia and other Twenty20 leagues in Bangladesh and elsewhere. However, our Caribbean cricketers are known for their special calypso type cricket and after all we in the Caribbean are fully aware of the nostalgia when our own “Super Cat” Clive Lloyd lifted the first two World Cups. The West Indies cricket team has achieved greatness and our cricketers are world class players. India can boast that they are the richest cricketing country with an abundance of world class players and money. Hence, the thousands of spectators who fill the huge stadiums across India and the millions who watched their television stations and the
further millions, who listened to radio commentary, certainly help to bring peace, tranquility and satisfaction to a greater part of the Indian population. Diaspora Scores of Guyanese in the diaspora are already calling and requesting information about returning home to see the matches that will be played at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence. Hundreds of Guyanese from North America, UK and other parts of the world will be coming home to share in our Emancipation Day activities and will seize the opportunity to witness the CPL matches at Providence. The NEW GPC sponsorship is a multi-year agreement which will be in all aspects of the tournament, from branding, uniforms, advertising, marketing and production. Above all, NEW GPC is the franchise owner of our country’s pride, Guyana Amazon Warriors. The Guyana Amazon Warriors is really a very good team. Ramnaresh
Sarwan was the first captain to win the first ever Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean. He was the Man-of-the-Series in the 2004 Champions Trophy tournament when West Indies won. Sarwan is known as the batsman who can walk to the wicket at number three and play through the innings. Most significantly is the fact that Ramnaresh Sarwan is a great finisher. The Amazon Warriors includes the number one bowler in the world Sunil Narine, New Zealand’s in- form batsman Martin Guptill, Pakistan’s solid allrounder, Mohammed Hafeez.
Team strength
The batting will further be strengthened by the dependable and experienced Narsingh Deonarine, Lendl Simmons and the West Indies wicketkeeper/ batsman Denesh Ramdin. Hence, it cannot be denied that the Amazon Warriors are extremely strong in batting. The bowling will benefit from the speed of Ronsford Beaton, who will receive valuable
support from Krishmar Santokie and James Franklyn. Narine will receive support from Hafeez and Veerasammy Permaul. Young Christopher Barnwell, Trevon Griffith and William Perkins are players who can impact on the tournament. Dr Ramroop is very optimistic about the future of cricket in the Caribbean. He said, “Guyana Amazon Warriors represents an investment we have in the CPL, in the sport, in the players. Caribbean cricket is part of our culture.” He added, “We believe in the transformative potential of CPL for the Caribbean region. Not only does it promise to completely rejuvenate and revitalise cricket in the Caribbean, it has the potential to provide a tremendous economic and social boost as well. We feel it is important for the major corporate houses of the region to support this landmark initiative and intend to set an example by taking the title sponsorship of the event.