Diamond New Scheme Masjid registered a three-wicket victory over the Muslim Youth Organisation in the Inter-Jamaat 15-over softball final, which was recently played at the MYO ground.
The home team lost the toss and were asked to take first strike. Led by Shaheed Gittens and Safraz Esau, MYO raced to 106 in seven overs, but when Esau fell for 49 (1×4, 6x6s), the visitors took control of the momentum. Although Gittens scored 55 (6x4s, 6x6s), none of the other batsmen batted themselves in, given that only 70 runs came off the last eight overs.
Patrick Khan (who got the wicket of Gittens) and Sheldon Perch, finished with two wickets each.
Diamond New Scheme did not fare well early in the chase, since they lost their in-form opener, Rawl Reid, off the bowling of Fazal Nazeem for a duck. Soon after, Timore Mohamed had Keisho Ramsarran caught for one. Next to fall was Ricky Sargeant, who was brilliantly caught by 11-year-old Riyad Latif for 17.
Ameer Khan, however, swung the pendulum as he began to play a few strokes. He and Rajesh Reddy led the fightback.
THRILLING FINAL OVER
Khan, who fell in the 12th over for 59, struck two fours and four sixes, while Reddy was bowled off the first ball of the last over for 63 (2x4s, 8x6s), but the damage was already done. From the last five balls, the visitors required 11 runs. Richard Latif nabbed another wicket as he had Sheldon Perch bowled, but Safraz Mohamed took a single, which left his team needing 10 from 3. Khan then belted the third to last ball for six, which left the visitors needing 4 from 2. Latif fired in a dot ball, which meant that Diamond needed a boundary for the win. Pressure, however, resulted in Latif bowling a wide ball and the pair ran two. Needing a single run off the last ball, Latif again failed to find his line, which handed the visitors the win.
At the presentation ceremony, one of the organisers, Imran Ally, thanked all the teams for participating and also said that the competition was played in its true spirit and represented its motto “Unity and Brotherhood through Sports”.
Overall, New Amsterdam Masjid (NA) finished third and Tuschen Train Station Masjid, fourth.
Reddy won the man-of-the-match award, while Keion De Jesus from New Amsterdam with 335 runs, finished as the batsman with the most runs in the competition. De Jesus, who struck 122 against LBI, also ended with the highest individual score, while Wahab Riaz (also from NA), who took 7-16 against LBI, finished with the best bowling figures. Riaz was also rewarded for grabbing the most wickets in the competition (18).
