QPCC obliterate Aranguez in UWI T20

QUEEN’S Park Cricket Club continued their march towards defending their UWI-Unicom Twenty20 title with an eight-wicket embarrassment of Aranguez Sports Club on Tuesday, at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground at UWI-SPEC.

The Parkites roared into Friday’s first quarter-final at the same venue after restricting the minnows to just 97 for three in 20. The tournament-favourites then coasted to 101 for two, in just 8.1 overs, to seal a dominating performance, setting up a clash with the winner of the evening clash between TT Defence Force and Guyana’s Malteenoes All-Stars in the double-header.

Batting first, Aranguez never got momentum going due to a showcase of discipline in the field and with the ball from the Parkites. They laboured to 24 without loss after six, failing to capitalise on Tion Webster dropping Samuel Felix off Dexter Sween with the score on 17. Eventually, the openers got to 50 before Isaiah Superville was stumped by Nicholas Alexis off Jon Russ Jagessar. He made 26 off 31 balls with four fours.

Felix tried to spark some life into the innings, cutting Jagessar for a couple fours himself, but he was brilliantly run out by Daron Cruickshank for 31 off 35 which contained six boundaries. The lone six of the innings came from Johann Lezama who got to 19 off 29 but with the score at 75 for two from 15, the writing was on the wall. Sween went wicketless for 15, Jagessar got one for 23, Philton Williams went wicketless for 22 while Webster went wicketless for 25, as all completed their tight quota of four overs. Christopher Vincent got one for ten from his four, shattering Dion Ferrier’s stumps for six, leaving Lezama not out and Isaac Kennedy unbeaten on nine after a couple fours of his own.

This was never a challenging total, even with QPCC losing Sunil Narine with the score on 12 after the first over. He was bowled by Ashmead Mohammed for a golden duck, only for skipper Justin Guillen to join opener Webster in the crease to teach their opponents about heavy-hitting. Guillen, a former national player, who failed to deliver on the promise shown on the domestic circuit for years, reminded local fans of his power, smashing his way to 49 off 22 deliveries in half hour.

The man-of-the-match clouted four fours and five sixes, taking a liking to Mohammed’s wayward pace as QPCC went at it at above ten an over. Guillen also claimed 21 off Ferrier with a couple sixes on the on-side before offering Kennedy the same treatment. Webster wasn’t too pedestrian either with a blistering 35 from 29 in 38 minutes including four fours and three maximums. After Guillen pulled Kennedy to Andy Mahase one short of a half-century, Webster ended proceedings with a couple blows over the ropes. Friday’s semi-final will bowl off at 6pm from the same venue. Admission is $20 to the public and $10 for UWI staff and students.