'Pres' San Fernando storm into T20 final

PRESENTATION College San Fernando stayed on course for a sweep of titles as they beat Hillview College by eight runs on Monday to advance to the Powergen T20 Intercol final on Monday night at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba.

After winning the league crown last month, "Pres" showed their championship mettle to stifle Hillview in a low-scoring final.

Batting first, Presentation College lost wickets regularly and at untimely periods, limping to a modest 122 for seven when overs ran out.

Spinner Rikki Ragoonanan undermined their batting with an impressive bowling performance. Ragoonanan grabbed four wickets for 16 runs in four miserly overs. Andre Suglal (1/19) and Jonathan Durgadeen (1/34) were among the wickets.

Presentation had a flying start through openers Khaleem Mohammed (11) and Riyaad Mohammed (17), before the former was caught by Ragoonanan to Durgadeen with the score on 28 in 3.2 overs.

Ragoonanan made it 39 for two with the scalp of Mohammed in the sixth over.

But Aadi Ramsaran injected life and stability in the innings with a positive knock of 43 from 45 balls, laced with two fours and two sixes to give Presentation hope. Despite wickets falling around him, Ramsaran continued to bat with purpose.

Needing to up the scoring in the latter overs, Ramsaran became another of Ragoonanan's victim to make it 105 for six in the 18th over as Presentation struggled to build momentum.

In reply, Hillview openers Joseph Mendoza (23) and Suglal (19) gave their team a solid platform with a 36-run stand in five overs. Mendoza was the aggressor with a six and four off pacer Jason Agard, but he was run out after calling for a single and left stranded by a ball-watching Suglal.

Rondell Ramlogan joined Suglal at the crease and the pair pushed Hillview to 56 before Suglal (19) fell lbw to Nickyle Jalim.

The "Pres" spinners then stifled Hillview despite some lusty blows from Ramlogan off Brendan Boodoo's off-spin.

With 40 needed in the last five overs, Christian Rampersad swung the match in Presentation's favour with the wickets of the struggling Rajeev Ramgoolie (12 off 23), Ethan Ramsundar (2) and Adesh Singh (0) in the 17th over.

Ramlogan tried his best with a battling 47 not out but no other Hillview batsman came to the party as they were restricted to 114 for five.