Adams shines as Wolf Warriors claim Open title
… Floodlights XI are Masters champions

INDEBTED to an unbeaten half-century from opener Ricardo Adams along with innocuous shot selection from a few Regal XI players, Wolf Warriors came away trumps with the top prize when the curtain came down on this year’s Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) ‘Guyana Cup 4’ last Sunday night at the Demerara Cricket Club ground.

In the Masters category, Floodlights XI were too good for Savage Masters, defeating them by 27 runs thanks to Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series Younis Yusuf’s half-century which led them to 180 for 6. Savage Masters were limited to 153 for 8 in reply.

In the Open final, Regal XI, as they had done throughout the tournament won the toss and without hesitation inserted Wolf Warriors who had lost to Trophy Stall by nine wickets in last year’s final, to take first strike, following which Adams and his skipper Amit Rai added 78 for the first wicket.
Following the demise of Rai for 31 (4×4), Adams was joined by the hard-hitting Safraz Karim 37 4×6) with whom he added an additional 48 for the second wicket, setting the foundation for Wolf Warriors to post 166 for 6 off their 20 overs, with Adams hitting an unbeaten 53 (3×4, 1×6).
Fazal Rafeek and Sewchand Budhu took 2 wickets each for 39 and 42 runs respectively for Regal XI, who in their turn at the wicket, were coasting at 87 for 2 in the 11th over, when the lights on four of the six pillions went out, causing a 20-minute delay in the action.
When the action resumed, Chien Gittens struck the final ball of the over bowled by Vishnu Tamenchandra, over midwicket for six, before he was caught at the wicket by Rai off Azim Nizamudin, who watched as Regal XI skipper Richard Latiff was bowled first ball by Narine Bailey without scoring, as he looked to sweep, leaving his side precariously placed on 119 for 5.
Despite some hitting from Patrick Rooplall (30), Safraz Esau (18) and an unbeaten 17 from Rafiek, Regal XI failed to overhaul their target of 167, and were bowled out for 163 with one ball to go in the final over, as Bailey, Nizamudin and Tamenchandra took 2 wickets each for Wolf Warriors.
In the Masters category, Floodlights XI were asked to bat first and, led by Yusuf’s 62 (4×6, 3×4), 45 (4×6, 1×4) from Imtiaz Mohammed and 27 (2×4, 1×6) from Wayne Jones, scored 180 for 6 off their 20 overs, with R. Samaroo taking 3 for 30 for Savage Masters.
Even though R. Camacho struck four fours and two sixes in his 64 and N. Baksh had a similar number of sixes but one four in his 24, Savage Masters struggled against the bowling of Yusuf who took 2 for 25 and R. Singh 2 for 35 and were limited to 153 for 8.
For their win, Wolf Warriors took home $800 000 and a trophy along with an extra $200 000 that was given to them with the compliments of Zaheeda Hack, Yusuf was named Man-of-the-Series in the Masters category and Lennox Marks of Farm XI, the Man-of-the-Series in the Open category for which they both received a 14-carat diamond-studded gold band.
The female exhibition contest was awarded to defending champions Trophy Stall Angels, who were engaging Mike’s Wellwoman in the final after they both defeated Karibee Rice Strikers and 4R Lioness in their respective semifinal matches and had the final interrupted for reasons unknown.
Other individual trophies went to Yusuf, Jagdesh Persaud and Marks for their individual centuries while Tamenchandra, Amit Moonsammy and Rohit Dutchin were rewarded for their five-wicket hauls.

(By Calvin Roberts)