Yusuf guide Floodlights to another Masters Cup championship 

Floodlights softball Masters, watched by a fair sized crowd, retained the Guyana Softball Seven Masters Cup after defeating Regal by nine wickets in the Masters final played at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) last evening.

The match was delayed on several occasions due to lighting issues and crowd interruptions. In the end, the Floodlights side walked away with the winner’s purse of six hundred thousand dollars and the winner’s trophy.

Regal, after being sent in, found themselves in early trouble after losing three quick wickets to end the first power play 34 – 3. Eoin Abel and Mahendra Arjune, the men responsible for a mini-recovery, carried the score to 47 at the halfway point after enduring a shaky start.

Abel (18) however, was bowled soon after the strategic timeout to leave the score on 49 – 4 in the 11th over. They also lost Arjune (30) the top scorer, soon after to further set the innings back.

Uniss Yusuf reverse sweeps for six to record his 50 in a hand that took Floodlights to an emphatic nine-wicket win over Regal Masters (Royston Alkins Photo)
Mahendra Arjune pushes one into the offside during his 30 for Regal (Royston Alkins Photo)

The fall of regular wickets then prevented any real impetus in the latter overs as Regal ended on 101 for nine from their allotted 20 overs.

Clive Canterbury (2-11) and Ramo Malone (2-20) were the main wicket takers for Floodlights in a tidy bowling effort.

The defending champions, in reply, over an hour after Regal ended their innings, found little to worry them and cantered to 71 for 1 after 10 overs with Uniss Yusuf on 44 inclusive of four fours and a maximum while former National player Ramesh Narine was on five.

Yusuf continued to coast along and dished out several reverse sweeps for boundaries to register his fifty while taking Floodlights to 102 – 1 to complete the nine-wicket victory with more than seven six overs to spare. Yusuf who ended on 61, slammed six fours and two sixes while Narine ended unbeaten on 12 during his supporting knock.

Meanwhile, Blairmont Blazers had the better of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) by 88 runs in the Well Teen, Trophy Stall, Nauth Motor Spares and Tropical Springs, U13 final, played at the same venue.

Blazers rocketed to 150 for five from their allotted 20 overs as opener Timani Caesar, who carried his hand, ended unbeaten on an even 50 while number five Zainul Ramsammy blasted 60 to set up the challenging total.

Aryan Persaud’s 4 – 22 was the highlight of GCC’s day as they were bundled out for 62 in 14.2 overs to surrender the title to their Berbice counterparts. Only Rivaldo Phillips (21) reached double figures with Ramsammy returning to claim 3 for 15 to combine with Vickendra Singh (3-13) to rout the Georgetown side.