Persaud, batsmen hand Everest Masters big win

A hat trick from medium pacer Basil Persaud flattened Invaders Masters in their feature T20 match Sunday against Everest Masters at the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) ground.

Set a daunting 225 to win from 20 overs, Essequibo Coast Invaders were bowled out for 130 from 18.4 overs falling short by 94 runs.

Persaud who sent down 12 wides in two overs from the Carifesta Avenue end made amends when he was switched to the seawall end.

In the seventh over, he dismissed three batsmen from three consecutive balls to leave the visitors at 39 for 4 after a cautious start.

Only birthday boy Ramesh Narine looked assured with an attractive half century.

Narine hit two sixes and four fours before he was ninth out for 53.

Persaud finished with 4 for 19 and was named Man of the Match while Surendra Hiralall 2 for 10 (1.4) and Imtiaz Sadik gave valuable support to Everest Masters.

On Saturday, Everest Masters defeated Busta Enterprise Sports Club Masters by six wickets.

Everest Masters openers Sahadeo Hardaiow and Saheed Mohamed laid the foundation with a shot filled opening century stand. Mohamed was more attacking and clobbered four sixes and eight fours in 75 from just 42 balls.

When he was dismissed at 137 for 1, West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul joined Hardaiow and they continued the assault.

However, after hitting three sixes and nine fours, Hardaiow perished for the top score of 77 from 37 balls at 174 for 2 before Chanderpaul and Rakesh Garbarran (9 not out) smoked 50 runs for the third wicket when the innings ended.

Chanderpaul finished on 51 not out (6×3; 4×2) from 28 balls.

Only Dubraj Singh (1-33) and Beesham Seepersaud (1-34) picked up wickets for the visitors who won the opening match between the two sides in February in Essequibo.

With Everest Masters leveling the series, the decider becomes mouthwatering as both sides are confident of victory.

Trophies for the match were sponsored by the Rockaway Group of Companies of New York.