A Yannic Cariah hat-trick set up a lop-sided victory for defending champions Queen’s Park Cricket Club 1 over Clarke Road United as they secured their place in today’s Premiership 1 T20 title match against PowerGen Penal.
At the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, yesterday, PowerGen upset one of the tournament favourites Central Sports in the first semi-final to reach the championship game for the first time since 2014, while QPCC 1 continued their dominance, whipping Clarke Road by nine wickets in the second semi to secure their berth in the final.
Leg-spinner Cariah and left-arm orthodox Akeal Hosein wrecked the Clarke Road innings, with Cariah taking four wickets for 16 runs and Hosein grabbing three for seven as the Penal-based team were restricted to 86 for nine, batting first.
In reply, QPCC 1 raced to 87 for one off just 6.2 overs to clinch an easy nine-wicket victory with Tion Webster hitting five fours in his unbeaten 28 off 15 balls and Darren Bravo continuing his six-hitting form with three maximums and two fours in an 11-ball 28 to end the game in quick time.
However, it was Cariah and Hosein that put the Port of Spain club in the driver’s seat 11 overs into the game.
Despite a top-score of 41 from Nicholas Sookdeosingh at the top of the innings, Clarke Road never really got going after they were sent to bat first.
Jyd Goolie got the ball rolling for the Parkites, bowling Dejourn Charles for eight before Hosein and Cariah came together.
Hosein removed Tariq Mohammed, stumped by Jeremy Araujo for five, before removing the dangerous Sookdeosingh, caught by Cariah, in his next over.
Cariah then bowled Kerwyn Sirju for five before having Joshua James caught at slip by Hosein and trapping Justin Gangoo lbw off consecutive balls as Clarke Road slipped from 53 for one after ten overs to 68 for six in the 14th. The Penal team never recovered, losing eight wickets in final ten overs for the addition of just 33 runs.
In the earlier game, PowerGen upset Central Sports with a four-wicket victory thanks to some excellent bowling from fast bowlers Uthman Muhammad and Jarlarnie Seales in the back end of the innings to restrict the 2018 champions to 157 for nine after they were cruising at 91 without loss in the tenth over.
Jason Mohammed then hit a match-winning 47 not out off 34 balls to get PowerGen over the line in a tricky chase.
After Muhammad (three for 35) and Seales (three for 23) helped to restrict Central Sports to 157 for nine, Mohammed anchored the chase to take PowerGen to 161 for six in 18.3 overs to wrap up the win with nine balls to spare.
Mohammed and Ewart Nicholson, who scored a vital 54 off 32 balls, came together at 41 for two in the sixth over and put on 59 runs in the next six to put PowerGen in a decent position at 100 for two in the 12th over before two more quick wickets threatened to derail their progress.
Nicholson was bowled by Jahron Alfred while Akeil Cooper’s defence was similarly breached by Marlon Richards as PowerGen slipped to 101 for four. But Mohammed kept a level head to see them through.
When Central Sports were sent in to bat, skipper Kjorn Ottley struck 42 off 35 balls with two sixes and two fours, while Daniel Williams smashed five sixes and three fours in a 31-ball 56 before in the innings stalled.
The pair put on 90 in 9.5 overs before PowerGen came back with left-arm pacer Shaaron Lewis removing Williams and left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh sending back Ottley.
Muhammad and Seales did the rest as the innings fizzled out.
PowerGen will now meet QPCC 1 in the Premier 1 final from 3 p.m. while Merry Boys will face Prisons Sports in the Premiership 2 final from 11 a.m. Both matches take place at the National Cricket Centre.
Summarised scores:
Central Sports 157-9 (20 overs) (Daniel Williams 56, Kjorn Ottley 42; Jarlarnie Seales 3/23, Uthman Muhammad 3/35) vs PowerGen Penal Sports 161-6 (18.3 overs) (Ewart Nicholson 54, Jason Mohammed 47 n.o.; Marlon Richards 2/25, Jahron Alfred 2/28)
—PowerGen won by four wickets.
Clarke Road United 86-9 (20 overs) (Nicholas Sookdeosingh 41; Yannic Cariah 4/16, Akeal Hosein 3/7) vs QPCC 1 87-1 (6.2 overs) (Darren Bravo 28 n.o., Tion Webster 28 n.o., Isaiah Rajah 24)
—QPCC 1 won by nine wickets.
