A masterclass in power-hitting from West Indies international Sherry-Ann Fraser and a brutal century from Unis Yusuf headlined the final day of the softball cricket segment at Guyana’s 60th Independence Diamond Jubilee Sports programme.
The tournament, played under the auspices of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, brought together 12 teams from across Essequibo, Berbice, and Demerara.
But it was 4R Lioness, Regal Masters, and Parika Legends who ultimately walked away with the silverware after a high-scoring weekend at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.
Fraser power steers Lioness to glory
In the 15-over female final, 4R Lioness rode on a blistering performance from Player of the Final Sherry-Ann Fraser to secure a 16-run victory over Supreme Stars of Linden.
Opting to bat first, the Lioness line-up posted an imposing 159 for 5. Fraser was the undisputed star of the innings, smashing a ruthless 88 that featured five boundaries and nine towering sixes. She found able support from fellow West Indies international Shabika Gajnabi—who had already set the tournament alight with a semifinal century against #64—with a brisk 26, while Abigail Scott chipped in with 18.
Supreme Stars launched a spirited chase in response but found the mounting required run-rate too steep. Joyann Richards anchored the Linden side’s reply with a top score of 39, and Merissa Rodney contributed 19, but they ultimately ran out of momentum to finish on 143 for 7 as the overs expired.
Fraser, Rooplall fall short of tons but secure Over-40 crown
The Over-40 final was a purely one-sided affair as Regal put on a clinic in T20 batting, trouncing Parika by 74 runs after posting a mammoth 257 for 3 from their 20 overs.
Keith Fraser took the Parika bowling attack to the cleaners, blasting 7 sixes and 9 fours in a devastating 42-ball 99. He missed out on a well-deserved century by a single run but left Regal in a commanding position. Partner-in-crime Patrick Rooplall was equally merciless, hammering 10 sixes and 3 fours in a 58-ball 95, while Assif Ali provided the late-innings fireworks with a 22-ball 49.
Faced with a mountain to climb, Parika never threatened the target and were bundled out for 183 in 18.4 overs. Ravi Beharry fought a lonely battle with a quick-fire 44 (3×4, 4×6), while Thakur Samlall made 33, but the Regal bowling unit struck at regular intervals to seal a dominant victory.
While Parika tasted defeat in the Over-40 division, their senior counterparts, the Parika Legends, exacted sweet revenge in the Over-50 final with a thumping 99-run victory over Regal.
The foundation of the victory was a classy, vintage century from Unis Yusuf. The opener dismantled the Regal attack to smash 124 off just 64 balls, an innings punctuated by 9 fours and 11 maximums. Yusuf’s brilliance catapulted Parika Legends to 210 for 9, despite a fine spell from Regal’s Suresh Ramdeen, who picked up 4 for 25.
Regal’s response never got off the ground as Usil Armstrong tore through the batting order. Armstrong followed up a handy cameo with the bat to claim stellar figures of 4 for 18.
Ramdeen fought hard with an all-round contribution of 36, but lack of support from the other end saw Regal restricted to a paltry 111 for 9 when their 20 overs concluded.
The cricket finals formed part of a wider, massive sporting weekend in Georgetown. Alongside the action at Eve Leary, both the Squash and Badminton tournaments concluded on Sunday after four days of intense rivalry at the National Racquet Centre and National Gymnasium.
Tennis took centre stage on Sunday at the National Park Courts and is scheduled to wrap up on May 24.
The Diamond Jubilee sports festival will continue throughout the month, with athletics, basketball, dominoes, hockey, table tennis, volleyball, cycling, and golf all scheduled to take part in the celebrations.
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