THREE zone champions have now been crowned in the fourth instalment of the Lotto/Let’sBet One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast as the Lusignan Bulls franchise, through their DTP II team, charged to the Essequibo Zone title at the Anna Regina Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Bulls produced a clinical display in the final to dismantle Team Royals.
After Royals opted to bat, a disciplined bowling performance led by Essequibo national youth player Bruce Vincent (1 for 25) restricted them to 83 for 5.
The chase was a formality as Essequibo County batter, Malcom Hubbard, launched a swashbuckling attack, smashing an unbeaten 43 off just 15 balls as the Bulls raced to 88 for 1 in 5.3 overs.
The title victory earned Bulls DTP II $500,000 courtesy of Shawn’s Mini Mart, while runners-up Royals collected $200,000 sponsored by Jaigobin Hotel.
The final’s dominance followed a breathtaking semi-final exhibition earlier in the day, where Bulls skipper Richie Looknauth batted Adventure Renegades out of the tournament.
Looknauth hammered a stupendous 107 not out off only 27 balls—laced with three boundaries and 13 massive sixes—joining forces with Hubbard (39* off 14) in an explosive 123-run partnership across 5.2 overs to propel the Bulls to a mammoth 198 for 3 in 10 overs.
Renegades managed 89 for 3 in response, anchored by Mark Gonsalves’ unbeaten 49 off 33, as Dequan Bamfield picked up 2 for 21.
In the second semi-final, Team Royals defended 110 for 4—built on captain Alex Collins’ unbeaten 52 off 30 balls—by holding Queenstown/Ariel XI to 96 for 4.
Rajiv Nauth (3 for 11) and Bomesh Ramdahin (2 for 26) applied the brakes to stymie the run chase.
Both losing semi-finalists pocketed $50,000 each from Jaigobin Hotel, while Saturday’s losing quarter-finalists took home $25,000 courtesy of Scoop Ride Inc.
Meanwhile, in the exhibition match, Trophy Stall Eagles defeated Trophy Stall Jaguars by nine wickets, led by Shazzif Mohamed with 41* off 13, with support from Ravid Fredricks (24 off 12) as they chased 88 in 4.5 overs.
Trophy Stall Eagles had posted 87-1 in six overs, led by Jathaniel Nurse with 40* off 16 balls.
Lusignan Bulls DTP II now await the winner of the Georgetown/East Coast Zone, which runs through the Round-of-32 on September 26, Round-of-16 on September 27, quarter-finals on October 3 at Lusignan Community Centre Ground, and the zonal final on October 4 at Enmore.
Meanwhile, Grillmaster Sip N Play All-Stars (Berbice Zone) will lock horns with Mahdia – Movements Family (East Bank/West Demerara Zone) in the national semi-finals.
Everything culminates on October 11 at the Anna Regina National Stadium for the national finals, where teams will battle for top prizes of $2 million, $1 million, and $500,000.
