HALF CENTURIES from Leron Lezama and Ewart Nicholas propelled Club Crusoe to the 2015 UWI T20 Cricket title, when they defeated Clarke Road by four-wickets in Saturday’s final at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground, St Augustine.
The victory means that Club Crusoe is the first Tobago team to win the competition that began in 2012.
Clarke Road, who toppled Moosai Sports by 32 runs via the Duckworth/Lewis method in the semi-finals, won the toss and decided to take first strike on a wicket that looked good for batting.
Initially the opening pair of national duo Kjorn Ottley and Mark Deyal were looking comfortable as the First Citizens-sponsored side raced to 27 without loss in the fourth over.
However Club Crusoe captain Navin Stewart would play a part in both batters dismissals, when he bowled Ottley and took the catch to send Deyal back to the pavilion.
Clarke Road captain Yannick Ottley (32), Antonio Greenidge (23) and quick fire 13-ball innings of 22 from Derone Davis that included to two massive sixes tried in vain to push them to a commanding total.
This was due to the Tobago side producing a disciplined team bowling effort claiming wickets at regular intervals to bundle Clarke Road out before the allotted 20 overs.
In reply Clarke Road struck early when left-arm spinner Davis bowled wicketkeeper batsmen Keon Celestine attempting a slog. But when the aforementioned Lezama/Nicholas alliance came together, they took control of proceedings, during a commanding 108-run second wicket partnership in 14 overs.
Nicholas was in a hurry to finish the game in the 16th over as he hit Barbados all-rounder Kyle Mayers for three consecutive sixes before he perished caught on long on. Despite a minor collapse after the partnership, the victory was never in doubt for the Tobago team.
Club Crusoe captain Stewart articulated the elation of securing the win.
“Its ecstatic to win this tournament, since I’ve played cricket from youth level in Trinidad and Tobago, I’ve never known a Tobago to win title this significant,†said the 31-year-old Stewart who played the last of his 22 Twenty20 and four First Class games for the Red Force during the 2013 Champions League.
He continued: “We made a bold statement that we in Tobago can play cricket and we are thankful to UWI for accepting us.â€
Stewart who has played club cricket in Trinidad for Preysal, Comets, Moosai and Petrotrin alongside his job at the oil company, further noted he made the decision to return to the Tobago club cricket circuit with an aim of helping up-and-coming players on the island produce moments like this.
Club Crusoe were established eight years ago and were participating in this tournament for the fourth time and manager Farouk Yathali backed up the sentiments of Stewart.
“We are totally elated, our celebrations went deep into (yesterday) morning. I can’t remember when a Tobago team won a tournament like this in Trinidad,†said Yathali.
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