… Conference B finalists already decided

By Frederick Halley

TORONTO, Canada – The Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) 2016 season climaxes tomorrow at the Ashtonbee ground here with both the Conference A and B 20-over finals on the numbers one and two fields respectively.While the Conference B finalists have already been decided with Enterprise down to face Carr Tec, the highly anticipated match-up for the Conference A will not be known until today when the semi-finals are played at the same venue.

Already assured of the 10/10 and 15-over crowns, Dant will start as overwhelming favourites when they clash with Rebels on the number two ground while the other game brings together Sunshine and East Coast in what is expected to be a keenly contested affair.
Dant, who are seeking a repeat performance of their debut season (2014) when they swept all the major titles at stake, have signalled their intentions with a lob-sided victory over Better Hope in last Saturday’s quarter-final, routing the opposition for a mere 51 in reply to their 182 for four in the allotted 20 overs.
The in-form Shaun Deonandan (56) and former national player Damodar Daesrath (35) led the way for the eventual winners.
Rebels, on the other hand, created quite a storm with a thrilling last-wicket win over Rems, their highly seeded counterparts. While they don’t possess the big names as Dant, they are not to be taken lightly as was seen last Saturday when with only 10 players, they sent Rems packing.
Former Guyana Under-19 player Troy Gobin, a player known for his exploits when it matters most, is once again expected to play a leading role if Rebels are to advance to tomorrow’s final.
The East Coast/Sunshine battle seemed evenly poised. However, according to reports, Sunshine will be without their inspirational skipper Mahendranauth ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth because of work-related matters. A prominent all-rounder in his own right, and one player who revels in ‘big games’, his absence will be a severe blow to Sunshine’s hopes.
Sunshine’s batting will depend heavily on the likes of Azam Haniff, Anil Etwaroo, Avinash Sukhdeo and Anil Ramotar while the bowling is in the capable hands of Sukhdeo, Etwaroo and Wally Bacchus.
Sunshine were severely tested over the last weekend, having had to play GT Bannas both Saturday and Sunday, after the first game ended in a tie and the second ended with the West End team edging to victory by a mere one run in the replayed quarter-final.
Despite their under-achievement during the preliminary rounds and what can be considered an ordinary season, East Coast have shown they are capable of romping with the ‘big guns’, recording an easy victory over Caribbean Sensation last Saturday.
The key to their success lies with the Deosarran brothers (Krishna and Surujpaul), burly all-rounder Roohit ‘Beast’ Dutchin and the flamboyant Rakesh Dyal.
Tomorrow’s B Conference final is also expected to be eye-catching, with the unbeaten Enterprise looking to maintain their one hundred per cent record against Carr Tec who are bent on stopping them in their tracks.

Both captains, Rabindra Diaram (Enterprise) and Bharrat Latchman (Carr Tec), have exuded an air of confidence after easy semi-final wins versus Scarborough Angels and GTA Storm respectively and are raring to go.
Enterprise have looked impregnable during the season, their lone loss coming against GTA Storm in the 10/10 final while they also defeated Carr Tec during the season. Their strong batting lineup hinges around Sharaz Hamid, Seenarine Narine and Avinash Singh while Diaram and Imtiaz ‘Crasher’ Ali spearhead the bowling.
The man with the ‘golden arm’ Terry Mathura has been a thorn in the flesh of batsmen recently and played a pivotal role in last Sunday’s semi-final win versus GTA, with a brilliant four-wicket haul. He’s primed for tomorrow’s final.
While Carr Tec are expected to miss the services of former Guyana Under-19 batsman Harrinarine Chattergoon, their all-round abilities should make for an interesting encounter.