This year's Secondary Schools Cricket League (SSCL) 50-over champions Presentation College (Chaguanas) were knocked out of the PowerGen Intercol Twenty/20 (T20) tournament on April 11, as they fell to a five-run loss to St Benedict's College in a dramatic quarterfinal matchup at the Balmain Recreation Ground, Couva.
Batting first, St Benedict's were bowled out for a modest score of 133 in 19.3 overs, with solid contributions from the allround pair of Mickel Mentor (39 off 30 balls) and Josh Telemaque (25 off 13 balls). Dillon Balkaran led the Presentation Chaguanas attack with figures of three for 12, while Ramone Sawh took three for 22.
Presentation Chaguanas, who narrowly edged their rivals Presentation College (San Fernando) to the league title earlier this season, would have fancied chasing the 134-run target, but Mentor and the St Benedict's bowlers had other ideas.
Chaguanas were reeling at 28 for three inside the fourth over. And by the ten-over mark, the game was perfectly in the balance as Chaguanas progressed to 67 for five – leaving them needing 67 runs off the last ten overs.
The league champions got a 49-run stand between Sawh (25 off 35 balls) and Brandon Phillip (25 off 28 balls) for the sixth wicket as they appeared to be regaining control of the game. However, when Phillip was bowled by Kevin Kanhai (one for 19) to leave Chaguanas on 102 for six in the 16th over, Benedict's tightened the screws.
After 18 overs, Chaguanas were placed on 118 for six – leaving them needing 16 to get off the last two overs. The lanky Mentor crucially struck for Benedict's in the penultimate over, as he saw the back of Sawh to leave the opposition on 122 for seven after 18.5 overs.
At the start of the final over, Chaguanas needed ten runs to claim victory. However, Telemaque (one for 16) delivered a fine last over as he conceded just four runs and helped his team create three game-sealing run outs with his tight bowling at the death.
Earlier at the Balmain Recreation Ground, defending champions Pres San Fernando romped to a nine-wicket win against St Mary's College after restricting the opposition for a paltry 106 for eight.
Aadi Ramsaran starred for San Fernando with three for 13, while opening batsman Riyaad Mohammed spanked 71 off just 38 balls to blow the Saints out of the water in the chase.
At the National Cricket Centre (NCC), Vishnu Boys' Hindu College squeezed into the semifinal as they got a tight four-run win against Hillview College in a low-scoring affair.
[caption id="attachment_1076594" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Zachary Madray of Vishnu Boys Hindu College bats against Hillview College at the National Cricket Centre in Couva, on April 11 - ROGER JACOB[/caption]
Vishnu Boys were restricted to just 90 for five, with Aaron Basant top-scoring with 42 off 46 balls. Despite defending a meagre total, Zachary Madray (two for ten) and Andrew Rambaran (two for 27) helped bowl their school to victory as Hillview only managed 86 for eight in their 20 overs.
In the other game at the NCC,
