By Frederick Halley

TORONTO, Canada – Although the Ontario Roundarm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) 2016 season ended several weeks ago, the bragging rights were seemingly evident at last Saturday night’s sixth annual presentation, dinner and dance, held at the Royal Banquet Hall in Mississauga here.Two of the top participating teams, Spartans and Sunrisers, who shared honours in separate tournaments and who many felt would have clashed in the grand champion finale, openly threw out challenges against each other at Saturday night’s function.

East Division champions Spartans captured the grand championship title with victory over West Division leaders Titans after earlier winning the T20 crown while Sunrisers lifted the 10/10 and T20 ‘test’ trophies.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2016 season went to Rajkumar Budhram of Shawson who tallied an impressive 709 runs (average 78.78) while former Guyana Under-19 batsman Ravendra Mandolall, who represented Sunrisers enjoyed a fine season, scoring 437 runs (including innings of 130 and 100 not out) with the top average of 109.25.
Mandolall also finished third in the six-hitting category with 56, with Rajkumar topping with an amazing 79 while Navin Latchman of 11th Main Army occupied the second spot with 66.
Latchman also topped the West Zone with 555 runs while the leading bowlers in the East and West zones respectively were Naurang Brigmohan with 27 wickets (average 5.49) and Surendra Raj Singh with 23 wickets (average 8.94). Rishi Harricharran was the most economical bowler, sending 35.4 overs at an average of 4.12 runs per over.
Former Guyana wicketkeeper Azib Ali Hanif (Masters) and veteran Ricky Hunte were also in the mix, the former placing fourth among players with the best batting average (76.50 runs per innings) while Hunte’s lone innings was a blistering 101 for Fuzion.
Enjoying his first year as president, Guyanese-born Mitch Bacchus lauded the success of the organisation which he said had grown by leaps and bounds over its six-year existence, more than doubling the number of teams it started with.
According to Bacchus, the season was another successful one with few hiccups, with a new champion (Spartans) being crowned after Smashers had won the championship for the last three years in succession.

Bacchus boasted that the growth in the number of teams, which stood at 26 at the end of the season “was probably due to our effectiveness in maintaining a high level of discipline and sportsmanship. We provide a fair and clear set of rules which govern the well organised league. The members are committed and supportive in the round arm bowling, which allows for a fair contest in each game.”
Bacchus disclosed that the immediate plans “are to maintain our standard and keep building our strength, in the form of fair governing rules. There are always rooms for improvement and growth and we keep an open mind to improve or adjust as we see fit to make the game play fair and for the players to have fun.
Bacchus also shunned rumours that the league plans to extend to the East end, positing that “there are no plans at the moment to extend out to the east.”
Founder-member Victor Yakoob, who was honoured for his outstanding service to ORSCA, praised the work of the current executive members and reminded those in attendance that “cricket is here to be played”. He also alluded to the fact that they are moving in the right direction.