GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago swept both men’s and women’s team titles Saturday night to emerge as the top squad at the 2009 Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Senior Championship.
T&T beat Barbados 3-2 in the men’s final, knocked off hosts Cayman Islands by a similar score in the women’s decider and picked up the overall team crown as a result at the South Sound Squash Club.
In the men’s team championship match, Barbados had jumped into a 2-0 lead and seemed poised for the title when veteran Mark Sealy got past Ryan Abraham who retired hurt and Fabian Goodridge beat Kale Wilson.
Sealy led Abraham 11-6, 2-11, 11-7, 7-11, 1-0 when the T&T opening player aborted his bid with an injury.
“I felt something snap, it looks like I pulled something,” Abraham said after the game.
Goodridge tightened the Barbados hold on the play-off when he beat Kale Wilson 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8.
But the new champions roared back when men’s individual runner-up Colin Ramasra outgunned the tall left-handed Shawn Simpson in five games and Don Lee knocked off Gavin Cumberbatch in four games.
Ramasra outlasted Simpson 11-8, 2-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 before Lee shot past dethroned men’s individual champion Gavin Cumberbatch 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6.
With the tie locked at 2-2, Paul Deverteuil delivered a tremendous comeback performance from two games down and outplayed Bryant Cumberbatch 3-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 for a fine win that landed T&T the title.
“I’ve come from two down a few times so I knew I could do it again,” Deverteuil said after the dramatic finish.
“It’s just fantastic for the team and what a great way to win it,” he added.
T&T’s women also had to overcome a titanic struggle to win their final against the Cayman Islands, who came from two down to level the tie at 2-2.
Amy Gillezeau beat Samantha Hennings 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9 and Nakita Poon Kong got past Melissa Evans 11-6, 13-15, 11-4, 11-5 for T&T’s 2-0 lead but Kerrie Sample and Rhea Khan lost the next two games to heighten the local fans’ hopes of a title success.
Veteran Marlene West rallied to beat Sample, the 2008 Caribbean Under-18 champion, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7, and Caroline Heal drew the tie level by stopping Khan 11-1, 11-4, 11-1.
In the deciding match, Joanna Scoon beat Cayman’s Chantelle Day 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 to complete another nail-biting divisional crown for T&T.
In the men’s third-place play-off, Cayman ran past Jamaica 4-1 with men’s individual champion Chris Binnie scoring Jamaica’s only win and Barbados edged Guyana 3-2 in the women’s third place match.
Barbados No.1 Karen Meakins clinched a rare win over Caribbean champion Nicolette Fernandes, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7 to inspire the Barbados victory.
Reigning Caribbean U19 champion Cheri-Ann Parris and Lea Solomon, on a walk-over, were also in winners’ row for Barbados while Caribbean U15 champion Victoria Arjoon and Kayla Jeffrey won for Guyana.
Cayman captured the veterans’ crown, 3-2 over Barbados in the final and T&T topped Jamaica 3-2 for third.
AUSTRALIA first innings 160 (S. Katich 50, S. Broad 5-37)
England second innings 373-9 declared
(A.Strauss 75, J.Trott 119, G.Swann 63; 4-98)
Australia second innings (80-0 overnight
S. Watson lbw b Broad 40
S. Katich lbw b Swann 43
R. Ponting run out (Flintoff) 66
M. Hussey c Cook b Swann 121
M. Clarke run out (Strauss) 0
M. North st Prior b Swann 10
B. Haddin c Strauss b Swann 34
M. Johnson c Collingwood b Harmison 0
P. Siddle c Flintoff b Harmison 10
S. Clark c Cook b Harmison 0
B. Hilfenhaus not out 4
Extras: (lb-7, nb-6, b-7) 20 Total: (all out; 102.2 overs) 348 Fall of wickets: 1-86 2-90 3-217 4-220 5-236 6-327 7-327 8-343 9-343 10-348
Bowling: Anderson 12-2-46-0 (1nb), Flintoff 11-1-42-0 (1nb), Harmison 16-5-54-3 (4nb), Swann 40.2-8-120-4, Broad 22-4-71-1, Collingwood 1-0-1-0.
Jubilant England regain
Ashes with 197-run win
