Patriots, QPCC vie for spot in Premiership I 50-over final

Bess Motors Marchin Patriots and Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) will meet in the semifinal of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) Premiership I 50-over competition from 10 am on May 18 at Inshan Ali Park in Preysal.

The two heavyweights will be battling for a spot in the final against the powerful Central Sports team, which has already captured the Premiership I National League and Twenty/20 Festival titles in the ongoing season. On May 11, Central Sports charged to a five-wicket win against Penal PowerGen to finish atop the round-robin phase of the 50-over competition with six wins from seven matches.

The Central Sports team, which includes players such as Rayad Emrit, Terrance Hinds, Imran Khan, Kjorn Ottley and former West Indies T20 World Cup winner Lendl Simmons, have already signalled their intentions to win a treble this season and they are now one win away from that goal.

Either Patriots or QPCC can foil those plans, though, and the two teams will be looking to finish their respective campaigns on a high after finishing the T20 Festival in disappointing fashion.

Central Sports, QPCC and the Patriots were grouped together in the T20 Festival, with the latter team bowing out of the tournament's group stage after collapsing to an agonising one-run loss to the Parkites in their final group game. In the semifinal, though, QPCC were comfortably beaten by PowerGen, who then lost in a thrilling final to Central Sports at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair on May 4.

After finishing the 50-over round-robin stage in second spot with six wins and a loss, Patriots captain Adrian Ali said his team is ready to make amends and book their spot in the final.

"This is an important game for us and we will do all in our power to advance to the final," Ali told Newsday. The Patriots skipper said former Windies under-19 player Derone Davis will make his return to the setup after being sidelined by an injury.

For the Parkites, they will be hoping to keep the runs flowing after booking their semifinal spot with a thumping 208-run win against outgoing champions Clarke Road United last week. QPCC made a staggering total of 479 for four, with Isaiah Rajah (182) and West Indies allrounder Yannic Cariah (120 not out) both scoring centuries. Windies wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva also notched a fine half-century.

At Inshan Ali Park on Saturday, QPCC and the Patriots will play their pivotal semi and aim to set up another dance with the treble-chasing Central Sports.