QPCC claim first UWI T20 title

QUEEN’S Park Cricket Club (QPCC) continued to cement their position as the bedrock of local cricket by finally capturing the elusive UWI-UNICOM T20 cricket title with an astounding 137-run win over El Socorro Youth Movement (EYM), on Sunday night, at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, St Augustine. The Parkites amassed 240 for three in their allotted 20 before skittling out EYM for a meagre 103 in 18.5 overs to add the trophy to an already-illustrious cabinet.

Sent in to bat, the Parkites made EYM pay, especially as fans were expecting the toss-winners to bat first given that they made the tournament’s highest score of 256 the day before on the same pitch. It would quickly turn into a decision they’d rue as QPCC raced to the tournament’s highest-ever opening partnership. Tion Webster put in another man-of-the-match display with his second century in this year’s edition, making an unbeaten 109 off just 55 balls. He registered 10 fours and six sixes in his knock, taking the Parkites to 183 in the 17th alongside Joshua Da Silva who made 92.

Da Silva perished by skying Shakeem Prince to Amit Kistow in the deep, eight runs short of a well-deserved century, with his 55-ball knock consisting of five fours and eight maximums. Daron Cruickshank would enter the wicket and his quickfire 24 from ten (three fours, one six) sped the score along to 234 before Prince (two for 40 from four overs) accounted for him as well, getting him stumped by wicketkeeper Aaron Alfred off a quicker knuckle-ball. Terrance Hinds came in to close out proceedings with Webster, making four en route to being run out on the last ball of the innings, leaving EYM with a most daunting task.

EYM never looked settled in their turn at the crease and failed to recapture their exquisite batting form shown throughout the tournament. Big-hitter Alden Daniel departed without a run on the board, edging the feisty pace of Hinds behind to Da Silva in the very first over. National spinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar would then bowl Shaquille McDavid without scoring and nab Brandon Ramdial leg-before for six to leave EYM tottering on 31 for three in the fourth. They never recovered although minor resistance did come from Alfred who made 28 (one four, two sixes) and Richard Ali’s 26 (one four, one six). However, wickets fell at regular intervals with only one other batsman, Keon Isaac (13) making it into double figures.

Alfred would nick Jaggesar behind to Da Silva, while another national player in Anderson Phillip would enter the fray and shatter the stumps of Ali and Isaac. Left-arm unorthodox spinner Akeal Hosein also got in on the action, claiming Jonathan Bootan LBW for four and castling Kistow for yet another duck. Phillip returned to the attack to claim Prince who lobbed him to Hinds, with Isiah Rajah uprooting Selvin Jacobs’ stumps for eight to seal the title and reaffirm QPCC’s position as the biggest institution in domestic cricket. Webster was named the MVP of the tournament, leading the batting table with 310 runs in four innings at an average of 155. Hosein and Hinds finished atop the bowling charts with eight scalps each.

Summarised scores:

QPCC 240/3 (Tion Webster 109 not out, Joshua Da Silva 92, Shakeem Prince 2/40) vs. EYM 103 (Aaron Alfred 28, Richard Ali 26, Jon-Russ Jaggesar 3/19, Anderson Phillip 3/29, Akeal Hosein 2/12). QPCC won by 137 runs.