By Morris Seecharan
Cricket unites people together, it builds team efforts, it brings out the competitiveness in you, and it creates leaders, and most importantly makes you meet people of all background and developed friendship. Last Sunday under the Friendship banner, superb weather, and all the planning for this game exceptionally executed it was time to launch the first friendship match between Sunrise and TBros Superstar. Sunrise winning the toss and batting opened with Deryck Basdeo and Roopnarine Dayal the newly elected captain for 2012.
Deryck Basdeo (left) Amit were stars of the game.
Elvis opening for Tbros second delivery was hit by Dayal to cover for a double to get off the mark and the next delivery played the same shot for a triple and looked sharp. While Amit the second opener for Tbros was touch up by Deryck Basdeo and Dayal as Dayal hit a cover drive for the first boundary of the game. Deryck and Dayal batting intelligently took control of Tbros bowlers, as Deryck showed aggression hitting Elvis for his first boundary and rocked Rafeek for 14 runs. Both Dayal and Deryck showed no sign of rust from the winter break as Dayal crept into anchoring role, while Deryck began to rumble TBros bowling with his explosive batting.
TBros bowler seems to run out of options to break through the defense of Deryck and Dayal. Sunil Tbros captain would rotate up to six bowlers in eight overs with no success in getting Sunrise opening pair out while their fielders were not helping with the cause of a break as they didn’t capitalized in catches opportunities. Deryck showcase a classic opening bat with his onside and cover drive in full swing. As Dayal was stubborn holding an end building a significant partnership. In the last ball of the 9th over Sunil had Dayal off stumped removed with dynamic off swinger. After a 76 runs partnership Sunrise captain contributed in important 23 runs knock. Sunrise will lose 2 quick wickets and at the 10 over half of this 20Twenty match when the score was 82 for 3.
Deryck assault on TBros bowlers continues and was joined by Selwyn Cheong who did not make it any easier. Cheong blasted a quick 13 as he was caught at long on with the score 107 for 4 in the 14th overs. Alvin Bharrat joined Deryck whose stalwart batting was treating on lookers. With Alvin Deryck lead his team to a spectacular inning as he batted the full innings making an unstoppable 85 runs as Alvin made an important 13 runs. Sunrise posted a score of 171 for 4 as their batting offensive seems promising and was poised position for victory.
Sunil lead TBros bowling with the figure of 2 for 24 as Suraj went for 1 for 11, and Elvis 1 for 22.
TBros captain Sunil collects the winning trophy from Dayal.
Tbros looking to climb a big mountain in attaining 8.6 over run rate had Suraj and Amit staged their opening batting with high hopes to build a foundation for the others to follow. As Sunrise opened with Khemraj Somaru and Kris Narine to kept them checked. Suraj wasted no time as he was dealing flurries of boundaries again Kris as Amit did his own damaged with the bat showing that Sunrise score was attainable. Both TBros opening pair was aggressive and looked threatening as Dayal quickly changed his bowlers brining Deryck Basdeo into the bowling attack. Deryck bowling was penetrating as he quickly cleaned bowled Suraj for 20 with the score at 32 in the 5th overs. In the same overs Deryck removed 2 addition wickets as Tbros was 3 for 37 as Deryck looked like a star in the bowling for Sunrise as well. In Deryck second over he cleaned bowled Elvis who had no idea what happened. With wickets dropping frequently it looks like Deryck was restricting Tbros to his score at they were 4 for 47 in the 7th over.
Amit continue to dig in with great resistance hoping for someone to join him to stop the free fall of wickets and build a partnership. He would found that in Sunil his captain and they build a partnership. Amit batting was the lifeline for his team as he crafted an important inning capitalizing on Sunrise loose bowling with powerful midwicket and square leg boundaries. Sunrise fielding was atrocious as well with misfielding and drop catches which aided Tbros batting effort. With Sunil and Amit built an import partnership of 57 as Khemraj had Sunil caught behind for 15. With Amit committed stubbornness to give his team a chance he was joined by Paul and build another 43 runs partnership as Paul was run out for 15.
With the score 147 for 6 in 15 overs it looked like Amit commanding batting was leading his team to victory. However Alvin Bharrat would breathe live back in Sunrise as he struck for 3 quick wickets including the price wicket of Amit who made an outstanding 67 runs knock. Amit showed great character as a batsman and was pivotal for TBros fight. With the score at 160 for 9 in the 18 over TBros needed 12 in 2 overs. In the last over there 7 runs needed and it looked like Sunrise will have change with the last pair batting. However out of no where came Dave a hard hitter who brought down the curtain of the game hitting 2 double and a boundary snatching the game away from Sunrise as TBros made 172 to win. It was battle to the end and nail biting ending as TBros teammates celebrated with Joy wining this Friendship Cup.
Deryck Basdeo bowling was astounding as he led his team bowling with figures of 4 for 14; Alvin Bharrat was attacking as well as his figures reads 4 for 33, and Khemraj Somaru bowled conservative with 1 for 21.
Best Player of this match trophy for TBros was awarded to Amit with the knock of 68 battles to the end and the sole reason his team won. While Deryck was the Best player of the Match for Sunrise leading his team batting with 85 runs not out, and dominate the game bowling with 4 for 17. Deryck won the best batting and bowler trophy of this match as well.
Both team manager Omar of TBros and Morris Seecharan of Sunrise pledge their commitment to continue this Friendship Trophy.