…Numbers one and two seeds sent packing

A NEW champion will be crowned on Saturday, September 6 when the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Club (OMSCC) stages the Legends Over-50 final at the St Bede ground in Scarborough, Toronto, Canada.

After easily topping the 2025 regular season chart, with just a single defeat, two-time defending champions GTA Storm suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of newcomers and number five seed Warriors while second-placed Canadian Legends were also booted out by the evergreen Toronto Blizzards who will be participating in their seventh consecutive final.
GTA Storm’s exit was engineered by an inexplicable middle-order batting collapse after being set 152 for victory against Warriors at St Bede. From a position of strength at 74 for two in the ninth over, the defending champions slumped to 98 for nine in the 14th over as the middle-order succumbed meekly. They were eventually bowled out for 126 in 18.2 overs, losing by 25 runs.
The innings got off to the worst possible start with the dismissal of Ian Baldeo, comprehensively bowled by the veteran Mahendranauth “Bobby” Parasnauth off the first ball. It soon became 18 for two when Rishi Singh sent back Rudy Bhopaul (nine).

The league’s top ranked player for 2025, Richard Driffield and Ken Itwaru staged a fightback, adding 56 for the third wicket but once the latter went, caught by his nephew Bobby, it was all downhill as three wickets fell at the same score, including Driffield for a top score of 41 and the prized scalp of skipper Troy Gobin without scoring.
Rovendra Mandolall, who had earlier made a defiant 39, crowned a fine all-round performance with three for 16 off his three overs while Rakesh Ramoutar took two for seven and “surprise package” Abinash Ramnarayan two for 20.

Earlier, Warriors staged a grand fightback, after being inserted to take first strike. It was a tale of two halves. After being 46 for three in the first 10 overs, they added a further 105 in the next 10 to end on a respectable 151 for seven.

Mandolall, who made his Over-50 debut this season, batted sensibly for his 39 which included three fours and an equal number of sixes while Rishi Singh added impetus to the innings with a 22-ball 34, spanking two fours and three sixes in the process. Ramoutar also chipped in with a useful 18. Jerry Brittania ended with two for 13.

The other semi-final, played on the adjoining Littles Field, saw Toronto Blizzards defeated Canadian Legends by eight wickets.
Set 139 for victory, after limiting their opponents to 138 for six in their allotted 20 overs, the experienced Toronto Blizzards side reached the required target in 14.1 overs with Shiv Seeram hitting three fours and three sixes in 33 and Jaimini Singh an undefeated 25.

Abdool Azeez, who was promoted to open the batting for Canadian Legends, slammed a fine 66 which was decorated with five fours and three sixes but failed to get support from the top order as Toronto Blizzards kept the middle and lower-order in check. Skipper Mohan Harihar took two for 20. (Frederick Halley)