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By Ricardo Inniss
The curtain came down on the 2011 MAQ T20 Lauderhill Night Cricket Competition, coordinated jointly by the SFCA and FSCL, before the usual large noisy crowd at the Lauderhill Sports Park, on Saturday evening April 9, as Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) defeated Jamaica in a tight match. T&T walked away with the MAQ T20 Trophy and a $2,000 check. T&T’s skipper Timothy Surujbally and Jamaica’s Glen Anglin were the stars of the night. The 26 year-old exuberant stroke-player Surujbally, was named MVP of the competition.
Pic (Right): Front L to R: Anthwan Singh, Joey Pierre, Timmthy Surujbally (Capt.), Gaston Walker, Ravi Samlal, Asad Alrashid and Shane Ford. Back L to R: Leon Garrick, Tariq Hosien, Stefan Babulal, Tazmool Hosien, David Ramsingh and Joel Pamphille.
The competition, now in its tenth year, was previously won seven (7) times by Jamaica, who also shared it once with Guyana.
Sent in to bat after losing the toss, T&T rattled up a very respectable as well as defendable 194 for 6 off the allotted 20 overs. Leading the way, skipper Surujbally, in a punishing mood, blasted 5 fours and 7 sixes in a scintillating hot-like-fire 29 ball 66. Not to be left out, Leon Garrick lashed 3 fours and 4 sixes off 41 balls, Joey Pierre smashed 3 fours off the 20 balls he received while scoring 21, and Baliram Nayaik stroked 3 fours in a cameo 12 ball knock. Bowling honors for Jamaica, went to Herlando Johnson who scalped 3 for 33 from 4 overs, Ken Wright with 1 for 11 off 2 and Eian Thomas, 1 for 37 off 4. There were 22 extras.
In a bold reply, Jamaica was dismissed for 181 after 18.3 overs, to give T&T victory by 13 runs, and their first ever lien on the MAQ T20 Night Cricket Trophy.
Hard-hitting Glen Anglin, batting at number 6, in a whirlwind knock of 81 slammed 6 peppery fours and 7 huge sixes off 41 balls to keep the match wide open, until he was ninth out with the score on 180. Young Steven Taylor looked threatening while at the wicket, but fell for a 14 ball 22 that included 2 fours and a six. Keyonie Gayle banged a quick-fire 20 off only 9 balls including 2 fours and a six, and Mark Johnson smashed 3 fours in a 12 ball 17.
Bowling for the victorious calypso boys, Joel Pamphille bagged 3 for 40 from 3.3 overs, Ravi Samlal captured 2 for 22 off 3, Gaston Walker 1 for 37 in 4 and Tazmool Hosien, 1 for 51 from 4. There were 2 run outs and 24 extras. The umpires were, Danny Khan and Mohammed Ally. Paul Mowatt was the official scorer. Congrats are in order for T&T.
After the match T & T captain Timothy Surujbally told DreamCricket.com: "We played as a team throughout the competition with everyone sticking to the game plan. I thought our out-cricket was excellent. Our batsmen and bowlers performed at the right time, and all the players played a major role at one time or the other. I’m very pleased and happy to have led T &T to their first ever MAQ T20 Night Cricket championship.”