Before the final of the inaugural Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast, Eccles All-Stars were deemed the ‘giant killers’ after taking down formidable sides such as The Guards and Movements Family (Mahdia).
After the final, they were crowned champions, thereby taking the mantle as the best tapeball team presently in the country.
In Saturday’s final, they produced a well-rounded display to trump the powerful V-Net Vipers by 32 runs under lights at the National Stadium, Providence.
Eccles posted a commanding 154-5 from their 10 overs and, with arguably one of the better pace attacks in the tournament, strangled the powerful V-Net Vipers batting unit to 122-7.
Jonte Thomas smashed a whirlwind 76 from 29 balls, hammering eight sixes and five fours, while Quazim Yusuf was in equal support with 47 from 23 balls (2x4s; 5x6s) in a first-wicket stand of 103 from 7.1 overs for Eccles.
Troy Gonsalves added the final touches with two sixes in his four-ball 15.
Kemol Savory (2-14), Joshua Jones (2-32) and Antony Adams (1-42) were in the wickets for Vipers.
National speedster Shamar Joseph once again led the bowling charge for Eccles, snaring 2-21 in his three overs.
It was another all-around bowling effort by the East Bank Demerara unit as all of their bowlers nipped wickets and kept the pressure on V-Net, who never got through the gears early in the massive chase.
The dangerous Quentin Sampson went for 16 from eight balls, while David Williams (33), Richie Looknauth (21) and Kemol Savory (20) kept them in the hunt, but the run rate soared beyond reach.
Eccles won the first prize of G$1M, while Vipers took home G$300,000, and the two losing semi-finalists got G$100,000.
Earlier, Eccles restricted Team Corruption to 71-9 and chased it down in 6.4 overs for the loss of three wickets, while Vipers defended 122 to beat Tarmac Titans by five runs in the semi-finals.
The competition was sponsored by Kares Engineering Inc., Mohamed’s Enterprise, GT Beer, Rainforest Water, Star Party Rentals, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., ENet, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Trophy Stall, Premier Insurance, Cricket Zone USA, Beacon Café, Continental Transport, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, National Sports Commission, RS53 RestoBar and Lounge, Jacobs Jewelry and Pawn Shop, First Change Builder Inc. Impressions Inc., Sicko Mode, 94.1 BOOM FM, Assuria Insurance, Montra Restaurant and Longue, Gafoors and Hard Rock Café.
Individual awards:
Most Runs: Omesh Danram (Village Rams)- 3 innings; 163 runs; HS: 62*; Strike Rate: 281.67
Most Wickets: Shamar Joseph (Eccles All-Stars)- 5 innings; 8 wickets; Econ: 5.57
Most Valuable Player: Omesh Danram (Village Rams)- 19.932 points
Player-of-the-Final: Jonte Thomas (Eccles All-Stars)- 76 from 29 balls
