Seasoned off-spinners Sunil Narine and Bryan Charles played "tag team" against Bess Motors Marchin Patriots at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, Port-of-Spain, securing Queen’s Park Cricket Club’s fifth outright win of the season in the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) Premiership Division One on Sunday.
Charles claimed seven first-innings wickets while Narine took six in the second, as they took eight wickets each in the match, to help QPCC beat Patriots by an inning and 73 runs to go top of the table, overtaking Powergen, who were on a bye.
The day began with the Patriots resuming on 32 without loss under bright skies. The visitors were banking on the form of Evin Lewis, who had scored a double-century and a century in his preceding matches. However, the home team didn't have to wait long for a breakthrough on the second morning.
Bryan Charles provided the first wicket when Kirstan Kallicharan offered a catch to Kyle Ramdoo for a 44-ball 14, with the score at 37. Little did anyone know this would be the first of 20 Marchin wickets that would fall on the day.
Seven overs and 21 runs later, the home team claimed the prized scalp of Evin Lewis for 41. The West Indies opener hit four fours and two sixes in his 73-ball knock, but Charles proved too good, getting past his defence and striking his pad adjacent to the wicket.
Kamil Pooran, Brandan Boodoo, and Teshawn Castro fell in quick succession as the Patriots reeled at 99 for five. Charles eventually finished with stellar figures of 7-55 from 19 overs.
Joshua James provided minor resistance with 22, but the innings ended at 137 when Narine trapped him leg-before wicket. Trailing the home team by 187 runs, it was no surprise that the Parkites asked the visitors from Marchin to bat again.
This time, the script was different as the Patriots had to deal with ace spinner Sunil Narine. But it was Red Force leading spinner for 2025, Khary Pierre, who got things rolling with the wicket of Pooran for eight at 12 for one.
Matheus Komal got to 20 before he was Narine’s first wicket in the second innings. He was dismissed after a 40-run partnership with Kallicharan that spanned 13 overs and five balls.
Narine struck twice in the 29th over, on his way to figures of six for nine from 11 difficult and testing overs.
Crystian Thurton was caught by Jyd Goolie, and two balls later, Brendan Boodoo completed a pair of ducks in the match (following his 7-ball duck in the first innings), as Narine broke through his defence and disturbed the stumps to leave the visitors reeling for the second time in the day at 60 for four.
Things got worse for the Patriots as coach Vinood Maharaj did not get the ‘welcome home’ he would have liked, having coached Queen’s Park previously, before he took over the job at Charlieville for the 2025 season.
Patriots lost four more wickets before they reached 100 and were 96 for eight with the wickets of Evin Lewis (19), who batted at number eight and Joshua James (0).
The team from Central Trinidad were bowled out for 114 in their follow-on innings, to lose by an innings and 73 runs.
Queen’s Park now head the standings with their fifth win out of six matches, with their only drawn match against Powergen, who got first innings points.
Summarised scores
At Port of Spain: Queen’s Park 324 (77 overs) (Jyd Goolie 165 not out; Yannic Cariah 61; Ricky Jaipaul 4-80) Bess Motors 137 (52.2 overs) (Evin Lewis 41; Crystian Thurton 27; Bryan Charles 7-55) and 114 (35.5 overs) (Kirtsan Kallicharan 28; Matheus Komal 20; Sunil Narine 6-9). Queen’s Park won by an inning and 73 runs.
At Arouca: Prisons 80 (38.5 overs) (Zackurrie Raghoonath 23; Sidel Diaz 22; Jason Batson 4-33; Justyn Gangoo 3-23) and 90 (32,2 overs) (Zackurrie Raghoonath 41; Nathaniel Mc David 5-40; Nick Ramlal 2-0) vs Preysal 195 (61.3 overs) (Aaron Bankay 43; Sachin Seecharan 39; Vikash Rampersad 6-53; Keno Mason 3-45). Preysal won by an innings and 25 runs.
At Diego Martin: Merryboys 147 (45.4 overs) (Gerrad Chin 32; Marlon Richards 30; Damion Joachim 5-46; Jovan Ali 4-34) and 118 (41.1 overs) (Andrew Rambaran 52; Jovan Ali 4-27; Damion Joachim 4-58) vs Victoria 248 (48.4 overs) (Damion Joachim 110; Jordan Warner 31; Marlon Richards 4-28) and 18/1 (7.2 overs) (Jeremiah Cruickshank 13 not out; Daniel Babb 1-4). Victoria won by 9 wickets.
At Cunjal: Central Sports Yorkshire 209 (59.1) (Antonio Gomez 75; Nicholas Ali 38; Yannick Ottley 3-30) and 265 /7 (55 overs) (Antonio Gomez 62; Al Small 41; Vikash Mohan 4-77) vs KFC Clarke Road Utd 350/7 dec (Vikash Mohan 75; Yannick Ottley 62; Nicholas Ali 4-102; Samuel Roopnarine 3-115). Match Drawn.
