A DETERMINED Sham Grocery XI team won the third edition of the Naeem Nasir Memorial softball cricket tournament, played last Sunday at the Area ‘H’ ground.
Sham Grocery X1 won the toss and invited Spartan to take first strike. Spartan were bowled out for 70 in eight overs. In reply Sham Grocery XI reached 72-5, with two overs to spare.
Troy Mathieson was named man-of-the-finals for his level-headed batting and all-round performance. The winning team took home $100 000, and the winners’ trophy while losing finalists and third-place finisher collected $50 000 and $25 000 respectively.
Ten teams participated in the tournament. In the opening round; Rising Star of Port Mourant defeated Shamie Grocery of Rose Hall Town by nine wickets; M. Ally Super 95 cruised past Son of Pitches of Hampshire by 22 runs; Terry Pike Grocery lost to Fyrish Strikers by eight wickets; Spartan of Canje defeated Tamarind Root by eight wickets while Sham Grocery X1 defeated Hard Knock of Ulverston by ten wickets.
In the second round, Rising Star drew a bye to the semifinals while Spartan defeated Fyrish Strikers by eight wickets in the first match.
In the final match of the second round, Sham Grocery X1 advanced to the next round by defeating M. Ali & Son Super 95 by nine wickets.
In the lone semifinal, Spartan defeated Rising Star by six wickets.
The tournament was organised by the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, Bakewell Under-17 and second division teams in memory of the late Chief Executive Officer and founder of Bakewell, Naeem Nasir.
Meanwhile, at the conclusion of the tournament, club secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster hailed the tournament as another highly successful project of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, and disclosed that the tournament was the 555th programme for the club.
Foster stated that it was a privilege to pay tribute to an outstanding Guyanese. Bakewell has been an official sponsor of the club since 2000.
General Manager of Bakewell, Rajin Ganga, in brief remarks hailed the special bond that exists between the two organisations. He expressed confidence that the successful relationship would continue well into the future.
The founder of Bakewell, Ganga noted, was a visionary thinker and a strong believer in sports, education and culture.
