"I CAN get used to winning a million dollars every year!"
PowerGen Sports Club captain Samuel Badree's jubilation after collecting the inaugural WIPA 20/20 Club Champions League million-dollar first prize on Sunday night at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, was perfectly justified.
He and his teammates had just overpowered a confident W Connection Wanderers outfit by 41 runs, defending their score of 133 to lift the trophy for what is now expected to be a lucrative annual tournament.
Second place earned Wanderers $300,000 as consolation.
A great indication of the competition's success was the sell-out crowd that caused officials to shut the gates at one stage. Inside, fans packed the stands and surrounded the outfield, even encroaching on the boundary ropes.
And PowerGen confirmed their "dark horse" status by winning the League, the only unbeaten team in the tournament. That string of triumphant performances was enough to surprise even Badree.
"When the tournament started," the skipper explained at the presentation ceremony, "we were really a late entrant and we didn't think that we could go all the way, but we were quietly confident that we had a good batting side and good bowling.
"No team scored more then 130 against us, and when we got 133, we always believed we could defend it, and the boys really came up trumps tonight."
Come up trumps they did, none more so than Man of the Match Lennox Cush--who top-scored for PowerGen with a run-a-ball 29, before returning bowling figures of two for eight--and Rishi Bachan, who crippled Wanderers' middle order with four scalps.
Dave Mohammed also stifled the batsmen artfully and was unlucky to finish wicketless.
President George Maxwell Richards was most present among the largest crowd the venue would have accommodated in years, with more than 4,000 patrons.
Richards would have seen Wanderers wobble in their run chase, sinking to 15 for two after four overs. Openers Kieran Powell (8, two fours)-caught at point off Esaun Crandon-and William Perkins-lbw Badree-were the early casualties.
Cush accounted for Nicholas Ramjass (5), lbw, then invited big-hitter Christopher Barnwell to find the wide long-on fieldsman. By then, Wanderers were 30 for four in the ninth over and wondering where redemption would come from.
Redemption never got to Guaracara Park. Navin Stewart slogged Mohammed over the wide mid-wicket fence, before Cush put him down off the chinaman bowler next ball.
Bachan stepped up, though, coaxing Stewart (8) to hit down the throat of Brent Harriott at long on, then bowled Kenroy Williams for a patient 22, as the number three batsman tried to up the tempo of Wanderers' scoring.
Sherwin Ganga had Avalon Cuffy (7) unmistakably stumped by Gibran Mohammed and Bachan dismissed Rajendra Mangalie (4) and Wanderers' captain Sanjiv Gooljar (3).
Wanderers were 63 for nine before Atiba Allert (20) engaged in some heavy hitting. Two fours and two sixes he clubbed off Ganga and company towards the end, but it was a case of too little too late.
"I thought we did well to restrict them to 133, but it was a very poor batting display by my team," Gooljar admitted afterwards, while giving kudos to his opponents.
"...I must say PowerGen played better on the night, and they deserved to win."
Few would have counted Wanderers out at the halfway stage, after they did well to rein in PowerGen's innings, from a worrying 85 for two to 133 for nine at the conclusion.
After ten overs, Gibran Mohammed (26) and Jason Mohammed (17) were back in the pavilion, lbw to Cuffy and Allert, respectively. Badree launched Gooljar for a six and a four, before Mangalie knocked back his middle-stump, then Ramjass had Cush caught and bowled for a patient 29, characterised mainly by good running between the wickets.
Things got worse for PowerGen, moving from 88 for four to 131 for eight, as they failed to get the ball away.
Ganga was run out by wicket-keeper Perkins for six and Ramjass bowled Crandon (3). Denzil James was bowled by an Allert inswinger and Dave Mohammed holed out to Barnwell off Mangalie for eight.
Ramjass' third scalp was Bachan, bowled for four, and Brent Harriott was run out without scoring, backing up, as PowerGen folded in 19.4 overs.
Their strength always lay in their bowling and fielding, though, and PowerGen made it count.
PowerGen's berth in the final came after a nine-wicket thrashing of Ceramic Merry Boys a day earlier in the semi-finals.
Merry Boys were bowled out for 102 with the final ball, before PowerGen reached 106 for one in 15.3 overs, with Cush hitting an unbeaten 57 and Mohammed (G), 36.
Summarised scores:
Sunday's Final
PowerGen Sports 133 off 19.4 overs (Lennox Cush 29, Gibran Mohammed 26, Jason Mohammed 17; Nicholas Ramjass 3/23, Rajendra Mangalie 2/20, Atiba Allert 2/9, Avalon Cuffy 1/20) beat W Connection Wanderers 92/9 off 20 overs (Kenroy Williams 22, Atiba Allert 20 not out; Rishi Bachan 4/17, Lennox Cush 2/8, Samuel Badree 1/9, Esuan Crandon 1/17, Sherwin Ganga 1/23)
Saturday's Semi-Final
Merry Boys 102 off 20 overs (Lincoln Roberts 24, Richard Kelly 20; Dave Mohammed 2/2, Lennox Cush 2/29) lost to PowerGen Sports 106/1 off 15.3 overs (Lennox Cush 57 not out, Gibran Mohammed 36)
