DAMION Joachim achieved a milestone on Sunday that most bowlers could only dream about. The PowerGen left-arm spinner grabbed all ten wickets in an innings as the southerners romped to victory by an innings and 108 runs over Comets in round five of the TT Cricket Board National League Premiership I competition.
Comets, resuming the second and final day on 38/3 in their first innings, were dismissed for 163 at the PowerGen Ground in Syne Village, Penal. It meant PowerGen earned a massive lead of 191 runs on first innings after posting 354/5 declared on day one.
Sanjay Jawahir top scored with 24 for Comets and spinners Ansil Bhagan and Joachim picked up 8/58 and 1/50 respectively. Comets were forced to follow on and this is when the match turned into the Joachim show as he destroyed the line-up.
Joachim, 21, ended with remarkable figures of 10/41 in 14.2 overs as Comets were bundled out for 83 in their second innings, to give PowerGen a handsome win.
Speaking to Newsday, Joachim said he was lost for words. “It feels really good. I don’t really know how to explain it.”
Joachim has not been a regular in the starting XI this season, but was glad for the opportunity to showcase his skills. “(I have been) training hard, working hard. I did not really play the first couple games, but I waited for my opportunity and when I got it, I grabbed it.”
He said his team-mates believed in him. “The team was saying I could get all ten, so I just kept bowling – being consistent.”
Joachim, a former national youth cricketer, believes he is starting to make the adjustment to senior cricket.
In other matches, Central Sports easily defeated Queen’s Park II by an innings and 65 runs at the Queen’s Park Oval, and Queen’s Park I crushed Victoria by eight wickets at Gilbert Park in California.
The match between Clarke Road Utd and Preysal ended in a draw at Wilson Road Recreation Ground in Penal.
Summarised Scores:
VICTORIA SPORTS CLUB 97 (Eton Bhal 19; Sunil Narine 5/32, Bryan Charles 3/21, Khary Pierre 2/24) & 133 (Kyle Roopchand 72 not out; S Narine 7/27, B Charles 2/20) vs QPCC 171 (Sunil Narine 89; Jacen Agard 3/30, Jovan Ali 3/56, Kyle Roopchand 2/16, Sherwin Ganga 2/51) and 62/2 (Jordan Warner 36 not out). Queen’s Park I won by eight wickets.
POWERGEN 354/5 dec. (Evin Lewis 109, Cephas Cooper 91, Akeil Cooper 69, Navin Bidaisee 60; Nicholas Ali 3/55, Danny Ramjitsingh 2/105 vs COMETS SPORTS CLUB 163 (Sanjay Jawahir 24; Ansil Bhagan 8/58, Damion Joachim 1/50) and 83 (D Joachim 10/41). PowerGen won by an innings and 108 runs.
CLARKE ROAD 367/9 (Vikash Mohan 108, Nicholas Sookdeosingh 103, Yannick Ottley 71 n.o; Vishan Jagassar 4/71, Ramesh Brijlal 3/83, Adrian Cooper 2/72) and 26/2 dec. vs PREYSAL 230 (Mbeki Joseph 60, Antonio Gomez 46; Y Ottley 4/46) and 111/7 (Aaron Bankay 35; Ahkeel Mollon 4/57, Y Ottley 3/40). Match Drawn.
CENTRAL SPORTS 362 (Kamil Pooran 112, Jesse Bootan 92, Marlon Richards 43 not out; Matthew Patrick 4/80
