T&T Police Service completed the North Zone Cricket Council treble after defeating Glenora Cricket Club in a one-sided affair to win the T20 competition at the Diego Martin Sports Complex on Sunday evening.
In so doing, the ‘Lawmen’ finished this season unbeaten as they gained promotion to the Premiership Division Two and won the 40 overs format without tasting defeat.
Police met Glenora in Group One of the first round, but the rain intervened when Police reached 203 for 3 in 17.4 overs. There was no rain to stop Police this time around as Nicholas Sookdeosingh made good use of his five chances, the first when he was on zero, the first ball of the innings.
The Clarke Road batsman edged the very first ball of the innings on the legside to wicketkeeper Zakariyya Mohammed, who took the catch, but upon running off to celebrate with the bowler Sion Hackett and the rest of the team, the ball escaped his grip. The umpire, who had already signalled out, reversed the decision after consulting his colleague at square leg.
Mohammed, who places a high value on his cricket, was not easy on himself as the dropped catch or mistake played on his mind for the rest of the Police innings. Other senior players, including captain Kenroy Williams and Dyanand ‘Dancing Dio’ Patrick sought repeatedly to reassure their confidence in the 14-year-old wicketkeeper.
Dejourn Charles and Sookdeosingh (both guest players from Clarke Road United) put together a huge 105-run partnership in eight overs before Charles was caught at deep cover by Hackett off the pace bowling of Kamil Pooran. Charles was severe on any bowler whether good ball or bad ball, short or full, offside or legside. He hit seven sixes in the innings, to add to his tournament-high of 38 sixes.
Sookdeosingh went on to be dropped a total of five times, one of which, was an effort Naseebullah would normally take with his eyes closed. Mohammed dropped another, this time a skier to add to his disappointment, although he was later named the wicketkeeper with the most catches and the youngest player of the tournament.
Sookeosingh hit a total of eight fours and six sixes in his 100 not-out. The former T&T player faced just 61 balls in his knock, as Police closed on 216 for two in their 20 overs.
If Glenora was to get anywhere close to the target, they needed good contributions from guest players Pooran and Hackett, as well as captain Williams. One cannot blame the Glenora team for being confident, as they have been in fine form.
Pooran came into the match on the back of 147 not out and 43 not out, without being dismissed in the two matches that he played. Hackett’s scored 147 runs in three innings but did not have an average coming into the match because he was not dismissed. Williams averaged 37 with a top score of 71, which he achieved twice so one would not bet against Glenora.
But the ‘cricket Gods’ and Murphy’s Law had other plans. Williams hit two sixes, but going for a third, miscued and was caught for 14. Murphy’s Law states “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”, and perhaps Pooran’s innings epitomised the law.
Pooran (24) was dismissed for the first time in the tournament, his third innings and Hackett (4), after three innings, also lost his wicket for the first time. What a time for that to happen.
Wickets continued to tumble, as Glenora lost seven wickets in 37 runs as they were bowled out for 101.
Police won by 115 runs, and Sookdeosingh was named “Man-of-the-Match”.
BRIEF SCORES
POLICE 216 / 2 (20 overs) (Nicholas Sookdeosingh 101, Dejourn Charles 60, Hackett 1-27, Pooran 1-31) vs GLENORA 101 (20 overs) (Nicholas Pooran 24, Keon Mason 20, Damien Brown 3-11, Mikel RIley 2-10). Police won by 115 runs.