Trinidad: Moosai's grill Defence Force (26 April 1998)

Sunday, April 26, 1998

Moosai's grill Defence Force

By GARTH WATTLEY

IT'S BEEN a brown season so far for the Defence Force. And yesterday at their parched Chaguara-mas ground, the soldiers were grilled again, by the latest Carib National League Division 1 championship challengers. Moosai Sports needed just 32.5 overs, including just one over and five balls after tea, to condemn the Army to their third defeat of the season.

The win by 211 runs pushed Moosai to 68 points. But the huge effort was not quite enough to topple leaders Queen's Park.

Despite the frustrating loss of the entire second day against current champs Sims Central Sports in Chaguanas, the youthful Parkites picked up a first innings win and 15 valuable points to stay two ahead of the field.

The tally was due in part to the efforts of bowler Derek Agge. Agge, bound for a stint in Minor League cricket in England, bagged 4 for 36 to help skittle Central Sports for 126.

At Santa Cruz, Clarke Road United failed to hold on to second place. They were left on the less productive end of a drawn game against Santa Cruz Sports Association who they have now joined in joint fourth spot after left-arm spinner Ken Hazel (5/42) earned first innings points for the home side.

Caroni Wanderers, very narrow first innings victors over Alescon Comet at Pierre Road, and Moosai's, have moved past Clarke Road.

Yesterday afternoon at Chag, the "Pride of the East, had the soldiers of the Defence Force fighting for their pride.

Dismissed for 95 in their first innings, the home team would have been hoping at least to pass the three-figure mark if not get the daunting 295 victory target set by Moosai.

But in the face of some nippy stuff by Tony Gray and Ganesh Mahabir's wily leg-spin, they capitulated.

Some four wickets fell inside the first 47 minutes, two of them to the former national and West Indies pacer.

And by the end of his incisive 12-over spell, the big man had trapped two more soldiers.

With the total on 35, Tracey Gonzales edged Gray to wicketkeeper Keno Mason who held his third catch of the innings. And ten runs later, Garfield London was eventually adjudged lbw by umpire Clyde Cumberbatch after being repeatedly forced onto the backfoot.

Gray could also have claimed a fifth wicket when Roger Lewis fended him to forward shortleg. But the diving Allister Pierre could not hold the catch.

Gray eventually retired to first slip. But Mahabir gave the soldiers no respite.

Having earlier removed Halsey Netto, the leg-spinner struck twice in successive overs. Key batsman Sherman Jordan, trying to get runs through the offside, only found skipper Aneil Rajah. Eight runs later with the total on 64, Roger Lewis hit Mahabir straight to mid-off.

At 54 for 8, it seemed like tea would not be needed.

But that was not to consider the resolve of tailenders Selvon Mitchell and Dunstan Guerra.

The pair defied rampant Moosai for 36 minutes, adding an innings-high 27. The left-handed Mitchell was especially defiant, striking three confident boundaries in his 52-minute knock, including one off Gray. He would finish unbeaten on 19. But on the fourth ball after tea, he saw Guerra (11) bowled by a Mahabir googly.

And when Vishal Persad-Maharaj got Dixon Sieunarine to edge a forward prod to first slip, the easy Moosai battle was over. But the war continues for the Army.

SUMMARISED SCORES:

At Chaguaramas: Moosai Sports 229 & 160 for 8 dec. v Defence Force 95 & 84 (A.Gray 4/33, G.Mahabir 4/27). Moosai won by 211 runs. Moosai 27 pts, Defence Force 7 pts.

At Brian Lara Recreation Ground: Santa Cruz 251 & 203 for 3 (C.Yorke 66, L.Roberts 60 n.o., B.Nicholas 18 n.o.; P.Persaud 2/66) v Clarke Rd. 187 (W.Debisette 73, P.Persaud 40; K.Hazel 5/42, C.Yorke 3/46). Match drawn. Santa Cruz 17, Clarke Rd. 7.

At Pierre Road: Caroni Wanderers 227 & 82 for 3 v Alescon Comet 226. Match drawn. Wanderers 14, Comet 8.

At Presentation College: Queen's Park 231 & 160 for 3 (I.Jan 77 n.o.; E.Williams 60) v Sims Central Sports 126 (D.Agge 4/36, R.Paty 3/31). QP 15 pts, Central Sports 6. Match draw. QP 15, Central Sports 4.

DIVISION 2

At Guarcara Park: Petrorin 248 for 9 dec. & 151 (D.Krishna 5/5) v Clico Preysal 404 for 8 dec. (W.Ali 155, I.Bishop 146). Preysal won by an innings and 5 runs.

Points: (Div. 1)

1. Queen's Park 70 pts, 2. Moosai 68, 3. Wanderers 66, 4. Clarke Rd./Santa Cruz 61, 6. Central Sports 48, 7. Comet 31, 8. Defence Force 13.

Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)