QUARTERFINALS action in the second Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. (GSCL) 12/12 championships, bowls off from 09:30hrs this morning at the Everest Cricket Club ground, where the eight teams will be doing battle for a place in tomorrow’s semi-final round.The group stage of this tournament was held two weeks ago, from which Regal XI and Trophy Stall (Group A), Speedboat and Recharge (Group B), Wolf Warriors and Invaders (Group C) and defending champions Memorex and Universal DVD Titans from Group D advanced.

This was following Regal XI and Trophy Stall’s respective group win over Farm XI, while Regal XI stopped Trophy Stall, the same for Wolf Warriors, who defeated both Invaders and Romaine’s XI< with Invaders going on to defeat Romaine’s XI in their final group match.
For Group B, Speed Boat lost to Better Hope in their first match, but beat Recharge in their second, then watched as Recharge humiliated Better Hope, thus handing Speed Boat a lifeline, as they advanced to the quarterfinals along with Recharge.
Defending champions Memorex waited as Universal DVD Titans defeated R1 in the first Group D encounter, before they (Memorex) also stopped R1 with a nine-wicket victory, while they edged the Titans by eight runs in a thrilling encounter, which closed off the second day of action.
Today’s matches pit Wolf Warriors and Universal DVD Titans first, followed by the Memorex versus Invaders matchup, then the Regal XI versus Recharge encounter, before Trophy Stall and Speedboat culminate the day’s events.
Picking the semifinalists from the above-mentioned matches for today would be a difficult task, as all eight teams have displayed the ability to fight with their backs to the wall, thus making the action an exciting one that should not be missed.
Wolf Warriors will be looking to the services of their skipper Amit Rai along with George Gill, Safraz Karim and Mohammed Riaz Karim to post a mammoth total on the board, so that their bowlers, led by Riaz-Karim, Diyaram Persaud, Albert Gill and Davenand Persaud can defend easily.
However, the Balram Samaroo-led Universal DVD Titans should not be taken lightly, even though they lost to Memorex in their final preliminary round matchup, when asked to score 93 for the second time during the day.
Not that their batting lineup which included Samaroo, David Lukenauth and Chandrashaker Arjune could not get the required runs, but the Memorex bowlers backed by some magnificent fielding were the deciding factor in that contest.
Lukenauth, Rajendra Sookdeo, Totaram Seenanand and Mahendra Baldeo will lead the Titans’ bowling lineup with the aim of reducing Wolf Warriors to a meagre total, especially knowing that their team will be without the services of national player Rajiv Ivan.
Like the Titans, Memorex will be without the services of national Under-19 opener Shimron Hetmyer, who will be in the West Indies Under-19 preparatory camp for their upcoming seven-match clash with Bangladesh Under-19 that bowls off in Guyana on October 5, for their engagement against Invaders.
Hetmyer’s sterling performance in the first tournament not only landed Memorex the first-place prize of $600 000 and trophy, but entitled him to the Most Valuable Player award which came with a three-piece living room suite.
Even though he will not be available, the defending champions can turn to his older brother Seon, Alvin Ramdass, Roy Jaffarally, brothers Jason and Keon Sinclair, Virender Mohammed, Vishal Phillips and John Percy who can take them into the final four.
If Invaders have any chance of overrunning the defending champions’ camp and coming away with an upset win, they will have to rely on the services of Vikash Dhaniram, Alvin Seepersaud, Ganesh Narine, Avenash Dhaniram and Amin Seepersaud, to make it a reality.
Both Trophy Stall and Regal XI can start as firm favourites for their matchup against Speed Boat and Recharge respectively, taking into consideration their recent performances in softball tournaments across Guyana.
Delroy Pereira, Martin Dutchin, Fazal Rafiek, Patrick Khan, Shailendra Ramnauth and Surujpaul Deosarran will lead Trophy Stall’s lineup against the likes of Wazir Hussein, Greg Singh, Peter Alleyne and Omesh Narine, who will be doing the same for Speed Boat.
Patrick Rooplall, Lakeram Roopnarine, Chien Gittens, Richard Latiff, Balram Roopnarine, Ricky Sargeant and Mohammed Ayume will lead Regal XI’s quest for a final-four placing, even as Y. Narine, Vickram Kissoon, Ricardo Adams, Quincy Jones, Travis Drakes and Premnarine Omadat look to do the same for Recharge.