Sports
Roneil Walcott
Former West Indies Under-19 player Justin Jagessar stole the limelight in the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) Under-23 Cup final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on December 13 – scoring a brilliant century to lead his Steelpan Titans team to a 166-run victory over Cocrico Warriors.
Warriors won the toss and opted to bowl, with Jagessar taking the initiative early as the Titans skipper put his team on his back with a knock of 112 from 107 balls. Jagessar’s innings contained 13 fours and two sixes, and by the time he was dismissed in the 37th over, the Titans already had a fantastic platform as they had pushed their score to 248 for four.
Earlier, opener Riyaad Mohammed (28 off 19) got the Titans off to a rapid start in a 33-run partnership with Jagessar in four overs, before the latter put on 57 with Joseph Mendoza (25 off 26) for the second wicket. Jagessar then put on 78 for the third wicket with Nick Ramlal (36 off 39), before adding a further 80 for the fourth wicket with wicket-keeper Matheus Komal (31 off 29) before he was dismissed by fast bowler Joshua James (two for 72).
Jagessar’s dismissal did little to slow the Titans down at the death, as they scored 62 runs in the last four overs with Jayden Kent thumping 26 off ten balls, and lower-order players Jacen Agard (16 off five balls) and Calvin Loubon (15 off seven balls) also chipping in with handy contributions, before they were run out in the 40th and final over as their team posted a formidable 310 for eight.
Left-arm seamer Josh Telemaque led the Warriors bowling attack with figures of two for 59.
Set a revised target of 309, the Warriors’ chase never got off the ground as they were bowled out for 142 by the 29th over with Kovid Bispath (four for 21) and Qadeer Juman (three for 36) wrecking their innings. Wicket-keeper/batsman Gerard Chin and Olando James led the Warriors’ innings by scoring 34 runs apiece, with captain Cristian Rampersad scoring 22. The Warriors had no answer for Bispath as he got the scalps of Khaleem Mohammed (17), Ishamael Ali (duck), Rampersad and Rondell Ramlogan (six) as the opposition slipped from 69 for two to 133 for eight. Juman then got the last two wickets as the Titans sealed the emphatic win to lift the trophy.
Summarised scores:
STEELPAN TITANS: 310/8 from 40 overs (Justin Jagessar 112 not out, Nick Ramlal 36, Riyaad Mohammed 28, Jayden Kent 26; Josh Telemaque 2/59, Joshua James 2/72) vs COCRICO WARRIORS: 142 from 29 overs (Gerard Chin 34, Olando James 34, Christian Rampersad 22; Kovid Bispath 4/21, Qadeer Juman 3/36). Titans won by 166 runs.
