DEFENDING champions of the NYNCL Cricket Zone T20 Cup, Phoenix Cricket Club, will look to win their third game when they go up against fellow Guyanese side, Majestic Cricket Club, on Saturday.

The star-studded side are leading Group B with two wins in two games, while Majestic CC are third in the group, with a win in their opener.
President of the club, Sharma Sukhdeo, told Chronicle Sport that he is delighted to work with “this extremely talented group of young men, mixed with both overseas and local players”. The Saturday side includes a lot of big names, including the likes of Gudakesh Motie, Jonathan Foo, Akshaya Persaud and Randall Wilson.

Sukhdeo noted that for this weekend’s clash former West Indies Test spinner Devendra Bishoo and national cricketer Chandrapaul Hemraj could also join the squad. “We have gotten the best start possible and will take it one game at a time until the final.”

VICTORIES
In their openers on Saturday, Phoenix CC defeated Jazba CC and Queens Blaster CC. In the clash against Jazba, Phoenix won the toss and opted to bat. Wilson, a Guyanese-born and former US U-19 cricketer, led the charge with 42 runs from 31 balls (3×4, 2×6), which propelled the side to 130-8 before the overs expired.

In reply, national cricketer Akshaya Persaud, spun his way to 4-26 from four overs, while fellow left-arm spinner Motie, who dismissed both openers, finished with 3-14 from four overs to help restrict Jazba CC for 101 in their allotted overs. Foo and skipper Yutesh Dhanpaul also picked up a wicket each.

Against Queens Blaster, Phoenix lost the toss and were asked to field.
Persaud once again found his line and length early, which propelled him to bowl two maiden overs en-route to 4-7 from his four overs. Motie, Dhanpaul and Jonathan Rampersaud supported with two wickets each, which helped to restrict the side for 83 in 19.2 overs.

In reply, Persaud, who was again named Man-of-the-Match, struck 30 (3×4, 2×6) from 14 balls, while Wilson finished with 21 (4×4, 10 balls) not out and Foo 15 (2×4, 1×6) not out to steer the side to 86-1 in 5.4 overs.