Final: Toronto CCC 151 for 5 wkts (20 ov) beat Scarborough CA 149 for 7 wkts (20 ov) by 2 runs.
Consolation Final: Etobicoke & District 157 for 5 wkts (20 ov) lost to Ottawa Valley 158 for 8 wkts (18.2 ov) by 2 wkts
Toronto CCC beat the Scarborough Cricket Association by two runs in Monday’s Thanksgiving holiday final of the Ontario Cricket Association’s Elite T20 Championship, played on the north pitch at Ellesmere Reservoir Park, Scarborough, Ontario. A run out off the last ball of the SCA’s 20 overs clinched the win for Toronto CCC, described on the OCA championship schedule as Toronto City CC and tagged as ‘the Jets’ in the scorebook. But a spectacular catch on the north boundary in the last over by the number 47 fielder transformed a six into a wicket that gave hope of a win for the fielding side.
It was an interesting twist of fate that victory was sealed by a last-ball run out as, batting in reasonable warmth – “almost tropical” by the standards of the 2012 Thanksgiving weekend in the Toronto area – the first three Toronto City batsmen were run out for scores of 1, 7, and 8. It took a recovery, lead by a major innings of 83 from Mehul, to pump the score to 151 for five wickets. Secondly, a catch claimed on that north boundary during the late stages of the Scarborough innings was denied after some discussions, but was followed by a fine catch in the last over in the same boundary area.

The denial of the earlier catch probably resulted in a greater awareness of the ground’s topography around the painted north-east boundary bend, bulge and drop. So, in simple terms this area, around long-off area for a right-hand bat, is sometimes on the top of a undulating mini-cliff but a mere couple of feet away is at the foot of the cliff. The bushes and trees have obviously been cleared in the past to create this bulge of safe ground for a fielder to fall down the cliff’s edge without risk of being stabbed by a solid branch or two of a bush or tree.
It is, in golfing terms it’s a bit of a ‘local rules’ situation. The normal principle of either being back on the boundary line makes no sense in the bulge area, as a fielder might be 2-3 feet, if not more, below the level of the rest of the field. So perspective on the flight of the ball is lost by a fielder standing beyond the top of this mini-cliff. Perhaps, in future, the boundary line should be marked along the top of the mini-cliff? Or a couple of inches/centimetres below the edge. A fielder who remains on the upper level would have caught the ball inside the boundary. Someone whose feet stumble over the edge would have to have touched or, more realistically, crossed the boundary.
This discussion brings back another positive aspect of the last over catch. The sinking sun in the west was hidden from this boundary buldge area as the sun had sunk behind one or two tall apartment buildings. So it was a bit cold for fielding in the late going at that north end of the ground. Actually, the batsman who was caught had struggled with leg muscle issues in the last 2-3 overs.
But up on the south pitch where Ottawa Valley Cricket Council played the Etobicoke & District Cricket League, the fielders on the eastern boundary had to contend with a low sun, compounded, at times, by the sun’s reflection off parked vehicles at the nearby shopping mall. My camera’s autofocus was confused and failed to work out the light setting on what proved to be a high looping drive that a deep fielder had no chance to pick out through the sun to the south-west during the Etobicoke innings.
There are certainly some skills required to play cricket in these conditions of widely variable light and shade, as well as contrasting feelings of heat and coolness.
Mehul’s 83 for Toronto CCC included seven fours and three sixes before he was caught off the bowling of Altaf. He batted at number four in the order and found support from Rakshit, who made 18 not out. Altaf took the two wickets in the Toronto innings that followed the early trio of run outs.
Canadian World Cup 2007 player Ashif Mulla struck 20 runs for Scarborough CA before being caught. He was dropped as the slip tried to juggle a catch in the early going. Opening partner Bashir Lokhat made 39. Kunal Patel scored 20 and number six bat Shaikh Samad, the captain, topped the scoring with 41, but could not quite pull the Scarborough side to victory. Mehul took two wickets, the other five bowlers used by Toronto CCC each took one wicket and the two run win was sealed by the last ball run out.
In the Consolation Final, the Etobicoke & District scored 157 for five wickets in 20 overs. The runs came from openers S. Bartholemew (41) and Orlando (45) with A. Gould and A. Fitz each scoring 22 in the closing overs. Ottawa Valley’s Salman took two wickets for 15 from four overs. Aoun also took two wickets, but was more expensive in conceding 43 runs in his four overs.
Salman then hit 27 opening the innings for Ottawa Valley but two early batsmen fell for a duck and 7. Zain and Navdeep made useful scores of 30 and 27 respectively. Kozi hit 13 and with a few runs from each of the lower order batsmen Ottawa Valley reached a winning 158 for eight wickets from the second ball of the 19th over. A. Gould took three wickets for 38 runs and A. Fitz 2 for 44.
During the closing presentations mention was made of the Ontario CA playing Quebec next weekend in Ottawa. I can remember that part, but I’m not sure if I was sneezing as well as coughing. When I arrived at the ground, just in time for these final, I was perspiring in the sunshine. But that had more to do with a 60 metre dash across Ellesemere to catch the bus near McCowan LRT station than the comparatively “tropical conditions” by this Thanksgiving weekend’s local standards.
A few youngsters were keenly hitting the odd cricket ball around, so the game of cricket should keep going outdoors for a bit longer, in terms of years in Ontario. I doubt I will be venturing to any further outdoor cricket this Canadian “summer”. But best wishes to those who will be playing and watching.
Eddie Norfolk