Ontario Round Arm Softball Cricket Association staged its T20 softball “Grand Finals” in bright sunshine with comfortable temperatures and a cool breeze at the picturesque Lancaster Park field in Mississauga on Sunday, September 22nd, 2019. The large vocal crowd of supporting spectators swayed to the sweet music in between overs and cheered lustily for every boundary hit or wicket taken. Above the din, was the colourful commentary by no other than Aftab Shamsudeen.
Proof that round-arm softball recreational cricket is on the rise was evidenced in the fact that this was the 9th Finals of ORSCA which started with just 10 teams, and progressed to this year that saw registration closed at 27 teams, with a goal of getting 32 teams next year.
The star-studded match-up between Masters CC and Cambridge Jaguars featured some former Guyana and Canada players.
A spellbinding battle was fought as the Jaguars staged two strong resistances that forced the Masters to hold their nerves with the experience of its former national players on the team proving to be the vital difference. In the end, Masters prevailed by 4 wickets.
Masters captain Mark Nazir won the toss and elected to field. This decision was vindicated as Cambridge Jaguars were reduced to a paltry 22 for 5 in 7 overs and then 42 for 6. Masters' Amzad Haniff started the destruction but it was a young, pacy 17-year-old who delivered the telling blows on the Jaguars batting lineup. Youthful Sachin, playing his first season in ORSCA, bowled fast, flat and accurately to remove former Albion players Roopnarine Lalbehari (C) and Zulfikar Rozan, in a spell where defense was the Jaguars' only option.
However, former BVI player Vijay Jhappan was able to staunch the collapse before unleashing some lusty blows striking 11 huge sixes in a game-changing partnership with Jerry Pooran. Vijay scored 87 runs to see the Jaguars to 163 in their allotted 20 overs. For the Masters, Amzad Haniff, Satrohan (Sachin) Doodnauth and Mark Nazir took two wickets each.
Masters started their chase positively aided by some wayward bowling and poor fielding from the Jaguars. Former Guyana youth player Eyaaz Mohamed and Imran Ali put on 40 runs before Imran was run out. Azam Haniff struck 6 sixes in a breezy 42 that added impetus to the chase. Although star batsman Bobby Budhram fell cheaply, Masters were well positioned in their chase at 141 for 5 in 13 overs. Anil Ramoutar (31) and Kumar Doodnauth (17) were in total control before Jaguars staged another determined fightback. Jerry Pooran and Mahendra Jaipersaud conceded just 10 runs in 5 overs taking two wickets. Eventually Mark Nazir (C) and Abdool Samad (former Canada national player) saw Masters home, sending their large contingent of supporters into joyful celebration as they lifted the trophy for the first time after a few previous attempts.
The Finals MVP honor was shared between Satrohan Doodnauth (bowling) who provided the opening salvo for Masters in his spell of 2 for 15 (4 overs) and Vijay Jhappan (batting) who kept Jaguars in the hunt with a measured yet devastating knock of 87.
The opening presentation ceremony was led by ORSCA’s President Mr. Arvin Persaud. Umpires were long standing ORSCA members – Mitch Bacchus and Sanjeev Ramnarine. The other match officials included scorers – Kay Sukdeo and Mo Nazir, linesmen – Trevor Chakalall, Dinesh Ajodha, Neilon Williams and Wasim Saffar; musical DJ Munir Bashir, and roving photographer – Shaun Roberts.

Sri Lanka will tour India in January next year, as replacement for Zimbabwe, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on September 25.
The tour will consist of three T20Is to be played in Guwahati, Indore and Pune on January 5, 7 and 10 respectively. The venues and the dates remain the same as before.
"In the wake of Zimbabwe's suspension by ICC, the BCCI invited Sri Lanka to participate in the three-match series. Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed their participation and the itinerary is as under," the BCCI said in a release.
Following a board and full council meeting in London in July this year, ICC had suspended Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect. In an official release, the apex body had stated that 'the ICC Board unanimously decided that Zimbabwe Cricket, an ICC Full Member, was in breach of Article 2.4 (c) and (d) of the ICC Constitution which imposes an obligation on Members to provide a process for free and democratic elections and to ensure that there is no government interference in its governance and / or administration for cricket respectively."
The governing body also confirmed that all ICC funding to Zimbabwe Cricket have been frozen and representative teams from Zimbabwe will not be allowed to participate in any ICC events. In the wake of their suspension, Zimbabwe also missed out on participating in the men's and women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers.
Despite the suspension, Zimbabwe recently competed in the T20I tri-series in Bangladesh and won one game against Afghanistan before crashing out.

15th Match, Kingston, Sep 18, JT v GAW
GAW 218/6; JT 137 (17.3/20 ov, target 219)
GAW won by 81 runs
16th Match, Kingston, Sep 19, JT v SKNP
SKNP 176/6; JT 156 (19.5/20 ov, target 177)
SKNP won by 20 runs
17th Match, Gros Islet, Sep 20, SLZ v BT
BT 172/6; SLZ 101 (14.5/20 ov, target 173)
BT won by 71 runs
18th Match, Gros Islet, Sep 21, SLZ v TKR
SLZ 99/4 (12.2/20 ov); TKR --- No result
19th Match, Bridgetown, Sep 22, BT v GAW
BT 138; GAW 81/2 (11/11 ov, target 70)
GAW won by 12 runs (D/L method)
20th Match, Bridgetown, Sep 23, BT v JT
JT 127; BT 122/9 (20 ov, target 128)
JT won by 5 runs
21st Match, Gros Islet, Sep 24, SLZ v SKNP
SLZ 165/6; SKNP 145/9 (20 ov, target 166)
SLZ won by 20 runs
22nd Match, Gros Islet, Sep 25, SLZ v GAW
SLZ 161/7; GAW 162/2 (18.2/20 ov, target 162)
GAW won by 8 wickets (with 10 balls remaining)
23rd Match, Bridgetown, Sep 26, BT v TKR
BT 192/5; TKR 129 (17.4/20 ov, target 193)
BT won by 63 runs
24th Match, Gros Islet, Sep 27, SLZ v JT
JT 165/7; SLZ 169/6 (19.1/20 ov, target 166)
SLZ won by 4 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)
25th Match, Bridgetown, Sep 28, BT v SKNP
SKNP 149/7; BT 148 (20 ov, target 150)
SKNP won by 1 run
26th Match, Bridgetown, Sep 29, BT v SLZ
BT 141/6; SLZ 117 (18.4/20 ov, target 142)
BT won by 24 runs
27th Match, Port of Spain, Sep 30, TKR v GAW
GAW 185/6; TKR 166/5
GAW won by 19 runs
28th Match, Port of Spain, Oct 2, TKR v BT
29th Match, Providence, Oct 3, GAW v JT
30th Match, Providence, Oct 4, GAW v TKR
Qualifier 1, Providence, Oct 6, TBA v TBA
Eliminator, Providence, Oct 6, TBA v TBA
Qualifier 2, Tarouba, Oct 8, TBA v TBA
Final, Tarouba, Oct 12, TBA v TBA

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 67 runs in the second day-night international on Monday as Karachi staged its first ODI for 10 years.
Pakistan hit 305-7 in their 50 overs with Babar Azam notching a brilliant 105-ball 115 and Fakhar Zaman scoring 54.
Sri Lanka were bundled out for 238 in 46.5 overs with Usman Shinwari taking 5-51, giving Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Green Shirts had won the toss and opted to bat first against the visitors.
After starting strong, Pakistan lost their first wicket in the 15th over, when Imam-ul-Haq (31 off 41) was trapped leg before wicket by Wanindu Hasaranga.
Fakhar Zaman (54 from 65) was next to go, getting caught by Isuru Udana off Hasaranga in the 21st over.
Haris Sohail (40 off 48) became the casualty of a run out off Nuwan Pradeep's bowling in the 40th over.
Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed was run out after scoring eight runs and Babar Azam, who smashed a 105-ball 115, was caught off Lahiru Kumara in the 46th over.
Imad Wasim was caught out after contributing 12 runs and Wahab Riaz (2) was run out at the non-striker's end on the last ball of the innings. Pakistan thus finished their batting with 305-7 at the end of the 50 overs.
The long-awaited first ODI between the two sides was called off due to heavy rain in the metropolis on Friday.
The second ODI, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, was rescheduled for Monday and the third match will be played on Wednesday.
Monday's match was the first ODI played in Karachi after a yawning gap of exactly 3,901 days, equivalent to 10 years, eight months and six days.
The two teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals in Lahore next month.

By Romeo Kaseram
Lancelot Richard Gibbs was born on September 29, 1934, in Queenstown, in what was then British Guiana, one of seven children, and cousin to another top West Indian cricketer, Clive Lloyd. As the website Guyana Cricket reports, the early loss of his father, Ebenezer, and the attendant hardships this untimely passing wrought, “provided an impetus for [Gibbs] to become a professional cricketer”. As GC adds, his father’s passing motivated him to succeed and provide for his family.
GC also yields details about Gibbs’ early life, citing a boyhood fascination with the game, notably in the collection of cricket items clipped from different publications. GC also reveals the young Gibbs would gaze out of his window waiting for the Guyanese cricketer, Robert Christiani, to pass by. It turns out Christiani is also a main figure among those anecdotes surviving today about Gibbs’ early bowling, with GC noting his incipient efforts at leg-spin “suffered immensely” from this batsman’s pouncing prowess. It could have been that Christiani’s punishing bat may have been a contributory factor to why it was “a fairly easy decision” for Gibbs to switch to off-spin. GC also notes Gibbs could not bowl the googly with leg-spin; the changeover to off-spin gave him “greater control and variation”.
Gibbs was a member of the Demerara Cricket Club by the time he turned 14. More anecdotal information, again from CG, informs us that Gibbs was mentored at the DCC by Berkeley Gaskin. Wikipedia tells us Gaskin was an administrator and a cricketer. He played first-class cricket as a medium-pace bowler and lower-order batsman for British Guiana from 1929 to 1953, and was captain from 1950-1951 to 1952-1953; he played two Tests in 1947-1948.
Gaskin was a source of inspiration for Gibbs, guiding him during his early career when he was experimenting with leg-spin, before changing to off-spin. GC tells us the changeover was made following advice from the former English wicketkeeper Arthur McIntyre, who was then coaching in Guyana. One interesting tit-bit comes from Martin Chandler, writing online in Cricket Web, who tells us the wealthier batsmen in the DCC encouraged young bowlers in the nets by placing coins on top the stumps; penetrating the batsmens’ defence and disturbing the coins meant ownership, which soon became a useful source of income for the questing Gibbs.
It was from such a nurturing, and at times profitable, space at the DCC where Gibbs made his entry into first class cricket, Cricbuzz notes, adding his debut occurred in 1953-1954 for British Guiana against the MCC in Bourda. At 19 years old, already he was complicating the lives of English stalwarts as Len Hutton and Tom Graveney. Cricbuzz notes one of Gibbs’ early high points “… was dismissing the lynchpin of England’s batting line-up, Dennis Compton”. As GC notes, “[Gibbs] bowled… Compton for 18 to leave the tourists precariously poised at 51/3… he also took [Graveney’s]… wicket… but only after a fourth-wicket partnership of 402 between Graveney and Willie Watson set up an innings victory for the MCC.”
Gibbs’ Test debut came against Pakistan in 1958, but as Cricbuzz notes, it was during the series against Australia in 1960-1961 when he lifted his craft to become “a household name in the Caribbean”. It was in this tour down under, during the Sydney Test that he turned the game on its head, “a superb turning point in [his] international career,” GC notes.
Cricbuzz tells us during this Test, “[at] 200 for 6, Australia still had hopes of getting close to West Indies’ first innings total of 339”; it adds, “However, with his large hands, [Gibbs] generated plenty of revolutions on the ball and as he spun a web around the lower-order batsmen, it made a whirring sound in the air. Johnny Martin, [Ken ‘Slasher’] Mackay and Wally Grout were all dismissed in a quick succession and they lost their last four wickets for a mere two runs.” His second innings spells were similarly productive with eight wickets. Following these successes, in the Test in Adelaide he added another five wickets to an already impressive performance, and left Australia the second highest wicket-taker.
Gibbs’ action at the wicket “was a mesmerising experience”, Chandler tells us. He adds, “Tall and thin he had a short bouncing run up to the wicket. Phenomenally accurate he was seldom collared, and usually got through an over in a couple of minutes. The best description of Gibbs comes from the pen of David Frith: ‘Bulbous but dreamy eyes, close cropped hair and the loosest of gaits gave Gibbs the appearance of a New Orleans trombonist.’”
In its discussion about his mastery of the spinner’s craft, GC notes Gibbs’ “unusually long fingers”, which he used “to turn the ball fiercely and exploited every conceivable change of pace, flight and length”. Vaneisa Baksh, writing in The Cricket Monthly last year, quotes Gibbs speaking about the physique that contributed to his bowling action, delivery, and its impact on the bat. As Gibbs tells her, “I remember… Gaskin… telling me, ‘Lance, your arm must touch your ear.’ That means it is high up, and if you're spinning the ball and you put it down in a certain spot, you can get bounce. So the ball is not going to hit the middle of the bat, it’s going to hit the edges.”
GC describes Gibbs’ as “one of the most successful spinners in Test cricket history”. With 309 Test wickets, he was the second player (after Fred Trueman) to pass 300, and “the first spinner to pass that milestone”. He had an exceptional rate of 1.98 runs per over. Cousin Lloyd sums up Gibbs’ contribution to West Indian cricket, quoted by GC, “There was never a more whole-hearted cricketer for the West Indies, nor an off-spinner in anything like his class. He was by no means a mechanical spinner, instead always thinking about the game, working an opponent out, assessing his strengths and weaknesses and laying the trap for him. A fierce competitor, he would be given a total effort, no matter if the pitch was flat and docile, no matter if the total was 300 for two and the sun scorching, no matter if his finger had been rubbed raw.”
Gibbs was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1967. He lives with his family in Florida, US.

Ireland will tour West Indies in January 2020 for a three-match ODI and as many T20 Internationals - the first time that the two teams will take each other on in a full three-match series, Cricket West Indies announced on Monday (September 30).
The series will begin with two day-night ODIs in Barbados beginning January 7 before moving to Grenada. They will then kick-off the T20I series on January 15, before moving to St.Kitts to conclude the tour.
The two sides had met in Ireland in May earlier in the year as part of an ODI tri-series that also included Bangladesh. West Indies prevailed in both those games.
Itinerary:
1st ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados - Tuesday, January 7, 2020
2nd ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados - Thursday, Jan 9, 2020
3rd ODI, Grenada - Sunday, January 12, 2020
1st T20I, National Cricket Stadium, Grenada - Wed, Jan 15, 2020
2nd T20I, Warner Park, St. Kitts- Saturday, January 18, 2020
3rd T20I, Warner Park, St. Kitts - Sunday 19 January 2020

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