Guyana Softball Cup 8 bowls off in grand style
Ariel Speedboat team members congratulate the Cotton Field Wild Oats players after their convincing 49-run win. (Adrine Narine photos)
Ariel Speedboat team members congratulate the Cotton Field Wild Oats players after their convincing 49-run win. (Adrine Narine photos)

… Mixed fortunes for defending champions

SOFTBALL cricket has now become one of the most-attended sports locally, and yesterday’s start of the three-day Guyana Softball Cup 8 was no different.

Twenty-four local and overseas teams began battling for supremacy at various venues in Georgetown and on the East Coast, Demerara.

Organised by Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA), the annual tournament for the first time attracted an Over-50 category.

While it was somewhat difficult to report on all 24 games, Chronicle Sport focused more on the games played by the two defending champions, Ariel Speedboat X1 and Floodlights Masters.

Both teams played two games each, winning a game apiece, which means the categories are wide open heading into today’s second day’s play.

Ariel Speedboat began their title defence with an easy 49-run win over Cotton Field Wild Oats at Ogle. The defending champions posed a challenging total of 206-3. Openers Anand Bharat and Shazim Hussain laid the perfect foundation with an opening stand of 76 before Lennox Marks hit six sixes in an unbeaten 40 at the back end of the innings.

Bharat struck four fours and two sixes in his knock of 49 while Hussein hit two fours and four maximums in his innings of 48.

In the run chase, Speedboat bowlers produced a well-disciplined effort, and maintained a steady line to restrict their opponents to 157 all out in 19.2 overs.

Wazeer Husain, B. Mangar, K. Smith and G. Singh claimed two wickets apiece. Ganesh Mangal top-scored with 31. Latchman Rohit (22) was the next best scorer.

However, in their second encounter against SVC Spartans, Speedboat suffered a shock defeat, losing by eight runs. The victory was the second for the SVC Spartans, after whipping the Ontario Softball Cricket League by 10 wickets in their first encounter.

Batting first, the Canadian team made 58 in 9.3 overs. Chandrakashar Arjune claimed 6-17 while Roy Jaferally took 2-0.

In reply, the Spartans reached 59-0 in 4.5 overs with Yutesh Danpaul and Delbert Hicks remaining unbeaten on 29 and 16 respectively.

However, the game against defending champions Ariel Speedboat, Spartans won the toss and bowled first. They restricted their opponents for 115 in 19.3 overs. K. Fraser made 19 while Hicks contributed 16. K. Smith claimed 4-16. Hussein 2-11 and I. Ivan 2-18.

A target seemed a walkover for the defending champions but the Spartans bowlers had other ideas. They bowled within the required line and length, and in the process restricted last weekend’s Prime Minister’s Cup double champions to 107 in 19.4 overs.

Mangar made 21 while Bharat contributed 18. A. Narine took 3-16 and David Williams 2-9.

Meanwhile, Floodlights Masters suffered as well. They lost to Albion Masters by 13 runs, before they convincingly beat Narine Masters by nine wickets.

Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Albion Masters piled up 169-8 in their allotted 20 overs. Imran Hossain top-scored with 29 while Jadesh Bhoj (26), Veerapen Moonsammy (19), Khemraj Sumair (15) and Ramiligum Mangali (10) were the other principal scorers.

Ramo Malone, D. Karran and G. Canterbury were the best bowlers for the defending champions with two wickets apiece.

Floodlights then made heavy weather of the run chase to reach 156-8 off 20 overs. Yunis Yusuf made 35. I. Harilall (2-23) was the best bowler, but it was a complete bowling effort from the eventual winners.

Scores in the match against Narine Masters and Floodlights: (Narine Masters 121 all out in 16 overs, Floodlights Masters 123-1 in 9 overs).

Meanwhile, last weekend Prime Minister’s Cup Masters champions, Regal Masters was on a roll, winning both their games against Tropical Springs and New York Hustlers.

For today’s fixture, four games will be played in the Open category while five games are billed for the Over-45 and three in the Over-50 categories. Those games will be played during the morning session with the semifinals for all three categories scheduled for afternoon.

Tomorrow’s action will start at 10:00hrs with the finals of the Over-45 and Over-50 and conclude with the Open final under floodlights at DCC, Queenstown.

To add to tomorrow’s action, Trophy Stall Angels, 4R Lioness, Mike’s Wellwoman and Karibee Girls will battle in the Female category.

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