… HACC six-year rule ends in emphatic fashion

By Frederick Halley

TORONTO, Canada — The inaugural winners of the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) Elite Division will be crowned on Saturday when Scarborough Cricket Club (SCC) and Victoria Park clash in the 50-over final. This followed SCC’s victory over Ambassadors Cricket Club and Victoria Park’s crushing of Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC) at the Ashtonbee ground on Sunday.
After ruling the roost in the Premiere League for six consecutive years and enduring one of their worst seasons, HACC succumbed to the spin of left-arm spinner Parth Desai and leg-spinner Shailesh Patel and were bundled out for a paltry 87 in 24.3 overs, replying to the challenging 192 for seven made by Victoria Park in the reduced 40-over semi-final.
Bowling in tandem after just one over of pace, the combination spun webs around the HACC batsmen and from a position of 24 without loss, the six-time Premiere League champions, slipped to an unbelievable 51 for eight with Desai grabbing four for 16 and Patel four for 18 from their respective eight overs.
Number 10 batsman Shiwram Chidanand (22) and former Guyana wicketkeeper (18) added 36 for the eighth wicket before they both departed at 87 as HACC went down by 107 runs.
Earlier, Victoria Park had won the toss and elected to take first strike on a cloudy morning. They were 68 for three in 16 overs when more than an hour-long break meant the game was reduced to 40 overs.
Consistent scores from opener Krunal Patel (40 with five fours and a six), Shailesh Patel (38 with two fours), Anand Erramilli (31 with two fours,) Aashin Patwari (31 with two fours) and Guyana’s Eugene LaFleur (26 not out with a six and a four) ensured the eventual winners reached a respectable total. Left-arm spinner Imran Kahn claimed three for 29 from eight overs, Farook Hussain two for 27 from five and Zaheer Allard two for 48 from eight.
The other semi-final was a more competitive affair with SCC, who lost to HACC in last year’s Premiere League final, winning by five wickets after being set 191 for victory in their game which was also reduced to 40 overs.
Led by a sparkling 82 from Usman Limbada and 72 from Suhauk Variava, SCC reached the required target in 38.2 overs, losing five wickets in the process.
Limbada struck five sixes and five fours while Variava’s knock included two sixes and two fours. Skipper Ronald Ramnarine claimed two for 26 from six overs and Amerish Deoraj two for 36 from four.
Ambassadors were earlier bowled out for 190 in 39.5 overs with Sahil Nibber hitting four sixes and five fours in a top score of 76 while Ramnarine chipped in with 25 (two fours).
Meanwhile, it was a bitter-sweet occasion for HACC whose long-standing skipper Hemnarine Chattergoon announced his retirement from the game after indicating at the beginning of the season that it would have been his last. Chattergoon will be further honoured at the club’s upcoming presentation and dinner at a date to be announced.
The club also took the opportunity to honour one of its players, Azhad Amidon, who tied the knot last Friday. Amidon and wife were presented with a token of appreciation by HACC president Narchand ‘Archie’ Mohan on behalf of the members.