Eddie Norfolk
Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute (CI) pulled off a nine wicket win against the highly fancied Woburn Collegiate Institute in the Boys High Schools final of the CIBC Trophy at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Park on Saturday afternoon (June 2nd). Dixit took four wickets for just four runs in 3.5 overs and Salman captured three wickets for nine runs in 4 overs as Woburn stumbled to 29 all out in 14.5 overs of this scheduled 20-overs a side final.
Woburn took a wicket with the third ball of the Pearson innings, then kept the scoring in check so Pearson was on just seven runs for the loss of one wicket from fiver overs. Ismail struck a boundary after 7.4 overs that relived the pressure on the batting side, and followed with a pull shot that produced another boundary soon after. The winning run came at the start of the tenth over. Ismail made 19 not out, from 25 balls, and opener Dixit 9 not out, from 25 balls.
Rogers Community Channel filmed this Boys High School Final, the last game of the 2012 edition of the CIMA Mayors Schools Cricket Tournament. There were also TV cameras from CBC, ATN and OMNI who recorded some highlights and interviewed some of the participating players.
During the day’s proceedings it was announced that there will be another “Cricket Across the Pond” tour for a squad of young Toronto cricketers at the end of June to the United Kingdom for cricket coaching and a series of games. The CIMA Spirit of Cricket tournament, which began in 2005, will be at Sunnybrook Park on Saturday June 23rd.
Meanwhile, the Toronto District School Board outdoor cricket season continues on Monday with the re-arranged North Region semi-finals and final due at Ross Lord Park. These games were washed out on Friday (June 1st). The City quarter-finals are scheduled for Tuesday, followed by semi-finals and the final on Wednesday (June 6th ) at Eglinton Flats.
York Memorial CI won the Girls High Schools CIBC Trophy and Valley Park Middle School won the Middle Schools age bracket. The scorecard for the Senior Boys Final can be found on CricHQ, thanks to Jamie Lloyd. Thanks are also due to the organizers, volunteers, umpires, scorers, special guests, sponsors, attending media, grounds persons and the players. As Toronto City Councillor Doug Ford said “without the athletes you do not have a tournament.”
Valley Park- middle school champions
York Memorial- girls champions