Clico Preysal 154

Western Counties Cricket Association XI 106

Skipper Shazan Babwah smashed 81 runs off 45 balls and then claimed four wickets for three runs to inspire visiting Clico Preysal of Trinidad to a comfortable 48-run win over a Western Counties Cricket Association XI at Somerset Cricket Club last night.

Babwah, a former Trinidad and Tobago skipper, laid the platform for his team?s challenging total in the 20-20 clash, punishing anything short of a length or wide of the stumps with brute force.

He then contained the WCCA batsmen with a devastating three-over spell of off spin bowling to cap a superb individual effort that propelled his team to victory.

?We are very delighted to have started the tour off on a positive note, and happy also to bring the guys here to gain some experience,? Clico executive Rangy Nanan told The Royal Gazette afterwards.

As for Babwah?s dazzling display, Nanan commented: ?Shazan did very well. He is very important to the team because he can strike the ball very good as you saw tonight.

?So he as captain led the way for the team tonight.?

Babwah came to the wicket with the visitors poised at 46 for two and quickly accelerated the run rate with an all-out assault on the bowling, the likes of which had not been seen since last April?s 20/20 World Classic at the National Sports Centre.

The Clico skipper raced to a half century off only 26 deliveries in 34 minutes, adding 42 runs for the third wicket with Vishan Jaggessar (eight) and another 38 for the fourth wicket with West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul (25) who took full advantage of being promoted up the order.

Babwah delighted an impressive gathering at Somerset with some mercurial strokeplay, banging seven sixes and six fours off 45 balls in 51 minutes before he became the fourth wicket to fall at 126 in the 15th over.

And despite a late fightback ? led by PHC all-rounder Cal Waldron ? the visitors still managed to cruise along comfortably at seven runs per over and post a total that ultimately proved beyond the home team?s reach.

Rampaul also impressed with the bat, smashing three fours and a six off 21 balls in 24 minutes work at the crease, while opener Deepak Kumar scored 16 off 21 balls at the top of the order.

Third change Waldron led the WCCA attack with outstanding figures of three for 33 off three overs, while Somerset Bridge all-rounder Donnie Charles returned two for 30 off four overs.

Waldron?s PHC team-mate Daniel Caines and Warwick?s Chris Douglas took one wicket apiece while Southampton Rangers batsman Andrew Raynor pulled off a sensational one-handed grab at long off to dismiss Keshava Ramphal (six) off the final ball of the innings.

In reply, WCCA seemed up for to the task as openers Dion Stovell (seven) and Ryane Shepperd carried the match to the opposition and brought fans racing to their feet with some enterprising strokeplay.

But once Windies pace ace Rampaul made the breakthrough by trapping an indecisive Shepperd in front of his stumps, an all too familiar scenario began to unfold with a procession of batsmen making their way to and from the middle in quick succession.

Their undoing?

Poor shot selection under pressure from some tight bowling from the visitors? varied attack, in particular Babwah.

From 16 without loss, WCCA slumped to 59 for nine before tailenders Waldron (15 not out) and Sheroy Fubler (13) added 47 runs in four overs to spare the home the indignity of being dismissed below the century mark.

Waldron hit one four and Fubler one six before he became the last wicket to fall, though the batsman appeared to have made his ground.

Number four bat David Ferreira was the only other WCCA batsman managing double figures, the Warwick wicketkeeper smashing 16 off 17 balls before he was bowled playing back to a Babwah delivery in the tenth over.

WCCA could find no answer to the disciplined bowling of Clico skipper Babwah who finished with astonishing figures of four for three off three overs with one maiden.

Rampaul, fresh off cricket studies Down Under, was also rewarded for some tight bowling by claiming two for 16 off four overs, Clico taking only 87 minutes and 19.3 overs to get the job complete.

Clico take on a national XI at the National Sports Centre today in a 50-overs contest, beginning at 11 a.m.