Propelled by a century from opening batsman Tion Webster and a half-century from West Indies all-round Akeal Hosein, Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) successfully defended its T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) Premiership Division I Sports and Culture Fund Sunday League 50 Overs title which was last played in 2019, when they defeated Central Sports by 108 runs at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando, on Sunday.
The Parkites got off to a slow start after being asked to bat first with just 31 runs on the scoreboard after ten overs. They lost their first wicket in the 16th over with the score on 60, Jeremy Solozano stomped by Daniel Williams off Ricky Jaipaul’s bowling for 28 runs off 48 balls.
His opening partner Webster was joined by Darren Bravo but he did not stick around and was caught and bowled by Imram Khan for two, 11 runs later. Joshua Da Silva, the West Indies Test wicketkeeper, contributed 35 off 44 balls before he was bowled by Khan with the score at 164 following a partnership of 93 with Webster, who was the backbone of the innings.
Webster got this fourth partner in Hosein, who took the fight to Central as he followed up his 108 runs batting for the Joshua DaSilva XI against the Imran Khan XI in a Red Force three-day practice on Friday, with an authoritative 84 runs off 46 balls with two fours and eight mighty sixes in his one hour and 14 minutes at the crease before he caught by Kjorn Ottley off Jahron Alfred bowling.
After he departed, Webster brought up his hundred from 151 balls in the 46th over with five fours and two sixes.
However, it was Terrance Hinds, who was the last wicket to fall with the score on 299/5 as Webster finished unbeaten on 118 off 155 balls with seven fours and three sixes.
Bowling for Central, Alfred got two for 56 from six overs, and Khan two for 27 from eight overs.
In reply, Central never recovered after losing its first wicket with one run on the board after opener Daniel Williams was lbw to medium-pacer Anderson Phillip for naught off the first ball he faced.
Nevertheless, Central had Keagan Simmons, who scored 105 against First Citizens Clarke Road in their Play-off semi-final on April 24, but he became the third victim of the Parkites’ bowling attack out for 37 off 32 balls going for a big shot and was caught by Yannick Cariah off Bryan Charles’ bowling.
From then on wickets just kept falling until a slight middle-order recovery between Khan and Emrit after another Central big-hitter, the experience Lendl Simmons, failed to live up to expectations in a prestigious title-decider.
The veteran Emrit was run out with a direct hit from Webster, who was fielding in the cover position with the score on 181/8. Emrit, who was left stranded metres outside his crease at the non-striker’s end, ended with 29 runs off 25 balls with two fours and two sixes.
Khan was the last wicket to fall with the score on 191. He scored a well-deserved half-century an even 50 off 71 balls with five fours and one six. His wicket sparked celebrations for the Parkites as Phillip ended with bowling figures of three for 33 from seven overs, Charles also took three wickets for 39 runs from his allotted ten overs and Khary Pierre took two for 41 also off ten overs.
SUMMARISED SCORES
QPCC 299/5 (50 overs) (T Webster 118, A Hosein 84, J Da Silva 35, J Solozano 28; I Khan 2-27, J. Alfred 2-56) vs CENTRAL SPORTS 191 all out (42 overs) (I Khan 50, K Simmons 37, R Emrit 29, L Simmons 16, A Alfred 15; A Phillip 3-33, B Charles 3-39, K Pierre 2-41). QPCC won by 108 runs.
