THE recently formed Essequibo Coast Cricket Club started the 2021 Ontario Softball Cricket League 20-over round-robin competition with victories over the weekend.
On Saturday, the team, made up of mostly Canada-based Essequibians, thrashed Miss Phoebe by a massive 156-run margin at Ashtonbee Park in Scarborough.
The eventual winners won the toss and opted to take first strike. Led by half-centuries from Skipper Kenny Ramsawak (50) and Oliver Manniram (50), and 33 from Davo Ramsawak, they were able to carve up 203-4.

Miss Phoebe, in reply, could not get on top of the bowling of Ravendra Madholall and the skipper, and eventually succumbed for 47. Madholall, a former U-19 cricketer who represented Essequibo and Guyana at the youth level, and who also played softball in the Florida Cup, picked up 4-8 from four overs, while Kenny Ramsawak took 2-8 from his two overs and Ivan Narine 1-3 off two overs.

On Sunday, at Littles Ground, also in Scarborough, Essequibo Coast also made light work of Three Counties by eight wickets.
Three Counties tallied a competitive 151-6 off 19 overs, with Rakesh Ramotar top-scoring with 44. There was a wicket apiece for Kenny Ramsawak, Romel Harripersaud, Madholall and Nicolas Sanicharan.

In reply, Essequibo Coast cruised to 157-2 off 18 overs with Madholall hitting an unbeaten 92, which included three fours and six sixes.
The 12-team tournament is set to resume next weekend with back-to-back matches. The Essequibo Coast Cricket Club was formed to participate in the competition. It is the brainchild of Kenny Ramsawak and Devon Ramnauth.