A SMALL but raucous gathering watched as the East Coast Zone Champions Annandale Secondary School beat city winners St Stanislaus College by two runs in a thrilling last-ball victory as The Beharry Group National U-19 Schools T20 Cricket Tournament continued.
Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the tournament, which is into the national play-off stage, saw the city side humbled at the Queen’s College ground.
In sweltering heat, on a quick outfield, Annandale surprisingly opted to bat first on a track with a bit of preparation moisture
They started positively with the team’s best batter, national player Joshua Bollers, and Jermaine Payton galloping to 24 inside four overs.
However, seamer Aden Coonjah broke the partnership by removing Bollers for 13; Bollers’ score saw him reach the ropes twice.
Akeem Persaud (15) and Payton put together 20 before Brendon Arjune bowled Persaud at 44-2 after which Jessie Craig trapped Payton lbw at 51-3.
Sanjay Dindyal (2) fell to Aaron Persaud to leave Annandale on 69-4 in the 11th over, as the lads from the East Coast school maintained their good run rate.
Nicholas Ramrattan (4) was run out by a good piece of fielding from Arjune with the score on 89-5 after he had added 20 with Ruel Dindyal.
Dindyal, who stroked four boundaries in his 31-ball 29, was run out at 91-6 before Amar Ramcharran (3) became the third run-out victim falling off the penultimate ball of the final over.
Craig, Coonjah, Arjune and Persaud picked up a wicket each for Saints, who lost Antonio Forde (5) at 10-1, before a 44-run stand between Craig and Aaron Persaud from 34 balls steadied the chase, but in the end, it was too little too late.
The pair joined forces under blue skies at 36-3 after Shawn Ramjit dismissed Arjune (6) at 20-2 and Noel Nihal (7) was stumped off Raul Dindyal.
The pair attacked the bowlers for five overs to carry the score to 80 before Ramjit broke the threatening partnership by removing the well-set Craig for an entertaining 35 from 31 balls with four fours and two sixes.
Ramjit got rid of Persaud, who clobbered a six in 16 before Bollers ‘Mankad’ Nitin Bhowandat (5) off the third ball of the final over with seven to get for victory.
Bhowandat backed up too far, looking for a single to keep the strike and was run out at the non-striker’s end by Bollers.
Coonjah (4) and Nehaul Dwarka (1) got three overthrows off the fifth ball, leaving Coonjah to hit a boundary to win.
However, the 14-year-old Coonjah, who lives in Annandale, could only manage a double as Saints lost by two runs, sparking wild celebrations from the Annandale fans in the stands.
Ramjit was the pick of the bowlers with 3-25.
