TORONTO, Canada – Led by a masterful century by former Canadian all-rounder Abdool Samad, the first by a Hawaiian Arctic Cricket Club (HACC) player over the last two seasons, the former six-time Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) Premier League champions crushed Toronto Cricketers Sports Club by 88 runs as the Elite League continued at the Terry Fox ground, Scarborough here on Sunday.

Playing in only his second game of the 2017 season, Samad, the brother of former Guyana and Canadian opener Fazil ‘Terminator’ Sattaur, entered the fray with HACC in dire straits at 61 for four after winning the toss and opting to take first strike.
The elegant right-hander, who also represented Canada at the ICC World Cup, shared two face-saving partnerships, firstly adding 45 for the fifth wicket with former Guyana and West Indies B team opener Krishna Arjune, whose contribution was 32, and 86 with his skipper Azib Ali Hanif, another former Guyana national wicketkeeper batsman.
Dominating both partnerships, Samad, who migrated to Canada at the age of 15, took the attack to all the Toronto Cricketers bowlers, blasting eight sixes and four fours in the process before he was well caught on the backward square-leg boundary for 105.
Hanif, in his first year at the helm of HACC, was left undefeated on 23 when the reduced 49 overs expired as HACC reached a challenging 221 for seven. Taseem Khan was Toronto Cricketers’ best bowler with two for 14 from three overs.
Toronto Cricketers, who entered the round as the leading team in the division after winning the Premiere League in 2016, never threatened and struggled throughout their innings before being bowled out for 133 in 39.2 overs as HACC bowlers kept them in check.
Off-spinner Tyrone Persaud, bowling late in the innings, ended with the impressive figures of three for 10 from 3.2 overs while there were two wickets each for left-arm spinner Manish Walia and Bim Bodhoo for 22 and 38 runs respectively. Arjune, bowling off-spin, chipped in with two for 36 from his full quota of 10 overs.
Having won the Premiere League for an unprecedented six consecutive seasons, HACC stumbled in last year’s inaugural Elite League season, bowing out in the semi-finals to eventual winners Victoria Park Cricket Club.
With four wins and three defeats, coupled with a rained-out game, HACC are aiming to be among the four teams in this year’s playoffs. (Frederick Halley)