TORONTO, Canada – On a typical Fall day, when the sun shone intermittently and Winter-like weather prevailed for most of the match, Jaguar clawed their way to a resounding 16-run victory over archrivals Sunshine Cricket Club when the first division final of the Canadian Softball Cricket Association (CSCA) took place at the Firgrove ground here last Saturday.

Already crowned knockout champions by getting past Beehive, Jaguars ended the season on a triumphant note as Sunshine once again failed to wrest the crown after losing to Dant in the 2012 final. The latter two were als0 scheduled to contest the 2013 final which never took place.
Set a challenging 137 for victory, after Jaguars had compiled 136 for six in their allotted 20 overs, Sunshine were left high and dry at 121 for nine when their overs expired.
The experienced opening pair of Deonarine Sukhoo (34) and Bernard Kartick (eight) started positively with an opening stand of 34 and despite the demise of the latter in the sixth over, Sunshine seemed well set at the halfway stage when they were 64 for one.
The left-handed Sukhoo, favouring the leg-side, plundered three sixes over the midwicket region and in tandem with Jeetendra Beharry (15) added a further 30 runs for the second wicket but once Sukhoo departed at 78 in the 13th over,

Sunshine struggled thereafter to maintain the required run rate, while losing wickets at regular intervals.
Khemraj Harrynarine (13) and skipper Mahendranauth ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth (11) were the only other players to reach double figures in the face of fine bowling by Andy Narayan (three for 17), Dave Sirkissoon (two for 16) and Reyaz Prahalad (two for 19) all bowling their quota of four overs.
Earlier. Jaguar were off to a disastrous start after being inserted to take first strike, slipping to four for two in the second over, losing the wickets of skipper Hemnarine Chattergoon (0) and Imran Ali (one). Chattergoon leg stump was rocked back by the first delivery of the innings by Parasnauth while Jeetendra Beharry sent back Ali.
Permanand Vernon and Harrinarine Chattergoon revived the innings with a fine third-wicket stand of 40 before the former went for 19 at 42 for three in the eighth over.
Vernon, who came in at number four, also featured in another face-saving partnership with the aggressive Zaheer Allard who blasted four massive sixes, including three successive off Abid Ali as he raced to a cameo 30.
The left-handed Vernon, who started cautiously, but blossomed later, anchored the remainder of the innings with some attacking strokes as he ended on 48 not out when the 20 overs expired. His knock, which also earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the winning team, was laced with two sixes and a similar number of fours.
Anil Mahadeo claimed two for 17 while there was one wicket each for Krishna Gopi, Beharry, Anil Etwaroo and Parasnauth.
Both captains, Sunshine’s Hemnarine Chattergoon and Parasnauth had kind words for their players while acknowledging that fittingly the best two sides had reached the final. According to Parasnauth, Jaguar thoroughly deserved to win since his side had blown their chances after seemingly well set at the half-way stage of their innings.
Chattergoon, the former Guyana and West Indies Under-19 player described the 2014 season as a dream one for him, Apart from leading Jaguar to a clean sweep of the CSCA first division competitions, he also skippered Hawaiian Arctic to their fifth consecutive Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) Premier League title. He is also president of the CSCA.
CSCA vice-president Leon Veeren and treasurer Dave Ramsammy were also at the presentation ceremony. Both commended the teams for their excellent showing in the final and throughout the tournament.