Experienced batter Vishnu Ramjeet played an innings for the ages on Sunday to lead Lusignan Sports Club to a five-wicket win over Enmore in the final of the Navin/Hanso/Revision Optical T20 championship, organised by the East Coast Cricket Board.
In a keenly contested final at the Lusignan Community Centre ground, Enmore posted 150-8 from the allotted 20 overs, and Lusignan overcame some ‘death’ over jitters to win with two balls to spare.
At 108-5 at the end of 16 overs, the game was tilted in favour of Enmore with 43 required off 24 balls and Lusignan’s top order batters back in the hut.
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However, Ramjeet found a more than capable ally in Shazam Ali, the pair forging an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 45 to seal the championship.
The duo took 14 off the 17th over to reduce the equation to a more manageable 29 off 18, and then 12 off the 18th over to make it 17 off 12.
Enmore skipper Satash Jainarine conceded just five off the penultimate over, leaving spinner Chaitram Balgobin to defend 12 off the last over.
Any intention Balgobin had of silencing the Lusignan supporters was dashed off the very first ball which Ramjeet clobbered for six to bring up his half-century, and three balls later a calm and composed Ali sealed the match with a boundary.
Ramjeet struck five sixes and three fours in his unbeaten 52, while Ali found the boundary six times in his 32 not out. Openers Robin Williams and Somnauth Bharratt made 16 each, and former national cricketer Krishna Deosarran chipped in with 14.
Bowling for Enmore, Richard Chaturia took 2-20, Balgobin 2-43 and Rajpaul Basdeo 1-25.
Enmore’s innings was built on a solid 70 from opener Rudolph Singh, the left-hander hitting five sixes and three fours. Apart from 36 (3x4s, 1×6) from First-Class player Amir Khan, no other Enmore batter got going.
Bowling for Lusignan, spinner Chanderpaul Ramraj took 3-15 off three overs and Kumar Bishundial 3-21 off three overs.
In the third place game, Industry Rubis defeated Strathavon. Strathavon made 119 in a game reduced to 16 overs, and Industry Rubis won by four wickets.
At the presentation ceremony, Lusignan received the championship trophy and G$150,000, Enmore had to settle for the runner-up trophy and G$75,000, Industry Rubis G$50,000 and Strathavon $25,000.
Ramjeet was named Man-of-the-Match for his match-winning innings, while Rudolph was adjudged Best Batsman and Ramraj Best Bowler.
