Host South Florida Softball Cricket League (SFSCL) knocked out pre-tournament favourites Regal Masters of the Florida Cup 2016 with a clinical batting performance in the semi-final.
South Florida Softball Cricket League set up a meet in the grand final against the Guyanese outfit, Floodlights.
Regal Masters set the host, SFSCL a challenging 242 to win from 20 overs for a spot in the final and Nazim Ali made it a one man show.
Ali opened the batting and had to score 12 runs per over to put his team in the final. He took his team over the line with seven wickets in hand and three balls to spare.
The hard hitting right handed Ali took the game away from Regal Masters with a 66 ball unbeaten 157, with 14 sixes and eight fours. Sadick Mohamed, 19 (2×4) played the supporting role.
At the half way stage of the match Regal Masters were high in confidence of a place in the final having scored 241-2 from their 20 overs.
The opening pair of Eoin Abel and Mahesh Chunilall added 178 in 17 overs which laid the foundation for Rudolph Baker to hit six sixes in the final over of the innings.
Chunilall hit the top score of 94 (50 balls, 6×6’s & 7×4’s), his third consecutive half century in Florida while Able made 77 from 54 balls with six sixes and five fours. Baker then blazed 51 from 12 balls with seven towering sixes and two fours.
Kaiume Mohamed, 1-30 and Joey Ragunandan 1-32 were the wicket takers for the home team who will now face the only Guyanese team standing in the tournament, Floodlights.
Floodlights (144-7) defeated Regal Masters (107 all out) in the teams’ final preliminary match by 37 runs in a one-sided affair to set up their semi-final clash with Orlando Softball Cricket League Masters.
South Florida Softball Cricket League All-Star booked their place in the final of the Open category with a convincing semi-final win over Untouchables of New York City.
