By Morris Seecharan
Looking to win back to back games, Sunrise won the toss and decided to take first strike at Merrick Park. Wahab Hussain hit back to back boundaries to get Sunrise on the board and looked solid.
Deryck Basdeo took 5 wickets for 4 runs.
However, Players would get a break through having Wahab and Dayal dismissed only to face the hard hitting Deryck Basdeo and Antonio Dallai. As Deryck scored quickly hitting flurries of boundaries, the scoring rate of Sunrise peak at 10 runs as his partner Antonio give him full support. Both Deryck and Antonio build an important partnership setting a solid start for their team. Players’ bowlers look puzzled and seemed not having answers for the pair.
After scoring freely and a 51 runs partnership, Deryck was caught at cover attempting for another boundary. Taking the score to 61 for 3 in 6 overs and making 33, Deryck left Sunrise at favorable position. Antonio was left to lead, batted sensibly and played an anchoring role. However, Sunrise middle order continues to struggle as Players picked up quick wickets, helped by run outs and was quickly backed in the game. Antonio, once more saw his teammates not staying around to fight with him as Sunrise lost cluster of wickets to end the first half batting. At the end of 13 overs Sunrise was 97 for 6 with Players looking to finish them off.
Antonio started off Sunrise second half with a boundary and attempted another big shot but top edged and caught at short long on. Antonio batted another important innings, with several partners and top score with 35 runs. With the score of 101 for 7 in the 14th overs, Harold Deokinanan was left to build a workable score for Sunrise. Harold hitting consecutive boundaries saw runs coming, but with only 3 wickets to take Players was in control. With some crafty batting and timely boundaries Harold partnered with the remaining batsmen taking the total to 145 as Sunrise was bowled out in 19.3 overs. Harold knock of 25 runs, which include 5 boundaries, came at an important time giving Sunrise bowlers a feasible total to work with.
Antonio Dallai top scored with 35.
M. Boodhoo lead his team bowlers with figures of 2 for 14, H. Jagdeo was 2 for 43, while R. Rajkumar, J. Boohoo, and K. Ramroop picked up one wicket each.
Players backed their batsmen and having the confidence of scoring two hundred plus runs in prior games looked to make Sunrise total without pressure. However, Sunrise backed their bowlers and stuck to their plan of bowling on target and taking early wickets. As Krishna Khemraj, Sunrise captain and opening bowler removed M. Boodhoo in the first over with the score on 4. With runs hard to come, in his first over Deryck Basdeo removed B. Boohoo for a maiden wicket as the score read 3 for 12 in 4th overs. Deryck returned for his second and picked up 2 more wickets and looked like the trump bowler for Sunrise.
With the score at 29 for 5, Players found themselves in an uphill battle having difficulty facing Deryck with only one batsmen scoring in double digit. Deryck in his 3rd over bowled Ponoo as Players wickets continue to freefall. M. Lall seems like only batsmen who would stand up and bat. Deryck bowling his 4th over picked up another maiden wicket as the scorecard read 7 for 33 in the 9th overs. Deryck was not only picking up wickets freely, his bowling was penetrating. With runs not coming and Deryck on top of their batsmen, Players batsmen couldn’t believe that they are not putting up a fight. However, before they could realize they was warped by Sunrise bowlers all out for 63 runs 13.4 overs. It was a strong bowling performance by Sunrise as they won by 82 runs.
Deryck Basdeo bowled a stellar spell with a 5 wickets haul for just 4 runs. This is every bowlers dream and certainly a nightmare for batsmen like Players. Deryck continues to be a caliber player for Sunrise and brings a feisty adrenaline to his teammates. It was yet another brilliant performance with both bat and ball for him. Not forgetting to start Sunrise bowling defensive Krishna Khemraj set the pace by picking the first two wickets bowling 2 for 29. While Harold Deokinanan and Khemraj Somaru picket up one wicket each and helped to shut down Players batting offensive.