The cricket season of 2017 is almost coming to an end and the last week-end of summer cricket will see the Super-9 T&D finals played on Saturday 23 September at King City grounds. All cricket fans of Ontario should go to this venue to see the finals which will be decided between CENTURIONS & VIKINGS.
Last weekend saw the four best clubs in the league, Masters, Toronto, Centurions and Vikings playing and the results being Vikings beating Masters by 3 wickets and Centurions beating Toronto by 5 wickets.
Former Guyana player Royston Crandon who had switched over to Vikings after seeing Masters winning the Cup in 2016 marshalled his troops to win against a strong Masters XI to enter the finals. Centurions led by wicket keeper opening batsman Srimantha Wijeyeratne, former Sri Lanka U-19 and current Canadian national player, came strongly to beat the challenge thrown by Toronto to beat them and booked a berth in Saturday’s final.
Vikings will mostly depend on their overseas players to grab the plum in T&D cricket, the ‘Championship’ of North America’s biggest league – Super 9. They will be smartly led by skipper Royston Crandon and will be supported by Thomas, Small, Pooran, and Nanaan. Also they will have Tinto, ex-Canadian U-19 bowler, all rounder Akash Shah, and ex- Afghan player Mujjtaba.
Centurions will pin their hopes on skipper Wijeyeratne, Gunasekera, Pathirana, Kamaleen, Adithya and veteran Balji Rao. Former Afghan U-19 player, Asghar Hotak and current Canadian opening bowler Cecil Pervez will spearhead the new ball bowling with veteran Rao, left armer Sajid, Gunasekera and overseas player Raymond Byone sharing the spin department. Jade Padmore, another Barbadian quick will check his pace against his fellow Islanders who will be in the opposition.
All in all, this will be a game to remember and we hope the ‘weather gods’ allow the day to go on with ‘Super’ weather forecast for Saturday.
May the best team win and may all support the game in “GENTLEMENS” way.
Reporting by SRINATH WIJEYERATNE