… Regal Legends, Toronto Blizzards clash in opener

FANS who will attend the 16th edition of the South Florida Softball Cricket League (SFSCL) tournament are anticipating a spectacular opening day tomorrow at the four venues in the Sunshine State.

Among the day’s opening fixtures is the highly touted match-up between Over-50 rivals Regal Legends of Guyana and the Toronto Blizzards from Canada, at Brian Piccolo Park, starting at 09.30hrs.

It will be the first clash between the two teams and both are brimming with confidence and are raring to start the tournament on a winning note.

Regal Legends skipper Mahendra Hardyal told Chronicle Sport that his charges are wary of the challenges expected from Toronto Blizzards and while they haven’t met at this level, they don’t intend to take any opposition lightly.

Regal’s batting hinges around opener Uniss Yusuf, who had the unique distinction of copping the Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards at successive tournaments in New York and Guyana in 2021, the pint-sized but hard-hitting Ramesh Deonarine, left-handed powerhouse Eric Thomas, Rudolph Baker and Eion Abel, among others.

Not to be outdone, Toronto Blizzards’ batting depth also packs a punch with the likes of former Guyana players in skipper Shivnauth Seeram, Jaimini Singh and Sunil Dhaniram, former Canadian World Cup batter Desmond Chumney and the consistent Mohan Mohan Harihar.

With the batters expected to dominate, it could be a nightmare for the bowlers on the fast outfield.

In an invited comment, Toronto Blizzards manager Azeem Khan disclosed that his players have inherited a winning culture over the last few years and he has no doubt they are capable of continuing in this tournament.

Both Khan and Hardyal spoke about the diversity within their teams with Khan boasting that over the years Toronto Blizzards have consisted mainly of players domiciled in Canada.

Hardyal, on the other hand, referred to Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali’s “One Guyana” initiative, pointing to the make-up of his two squads, which he said comprises different ethnicities. He also had praise for Sports Minister Charles Ramson who was very helpful in getting the team to Florida.

While these two teams may be classified as the two ‘giants’ in the Legends category, Wellman are also aiming to upset the ‘apple cart’.

Veteran Wayne Jones is still capable of destroying any attack on his day while the likes of Anil Beharry, Jagdesh Persaud, Lloyd Ruplall, Ricky Deonarine and Peter Persaud in the batting department and Lakhram ‘Mike’ Singh in the bowling can sway the results their way. Teams taking them lightly will do so at their own risks.

Meanwhile, at Monday night’s draw, which was done via Zoom, the teams in the three divisions – All Stars Open, Masters and Legends – were divided into two groups.

All Stars Open – Group A comprises Minnesota All Stars, SFSCL All Stars, Softball Cricket Canada (SCC) All Stars and Kingsmen; Group B – Firelinks All Stars, Orlando All Stars, Hurricanes and Seeper.

Masters Over-40 – Group A SSCA Masters, SCC Masters, Combined Masters and Corriverton Masters; Group B – Canadian Legends, Shaw Realty Masters, Regal Masters and Orlando Masters.

Legends Over-50 – Group A – Regal Legends, Wellman Masters and Marine Legends; Group B – Toronto Blizzards, Sunshine Raiders and Orlando Legends.

The day’s opening fixtures are: All Stars Open – Minnesota vs SFSCL, SCC vs Kingsmen, Firelinks vs Orlando, Hurricanes vs Seeper.

Masters Over-40 – SSCA vs SCC, Combined vs Corriverton, Canadian Legends vs Shaw Realty, Regal vs Orlando.

Legends Over-50 – Regal vs Toronto Blizzards, Wellman vs Sunshine Raiders, Marine Legends vs Orlando. (Frederick Halley)