GT20Canada: Montreal Tigers win truncated game to stay at top

Montreal Tigers maintained its position as leaders defeating Toronto Nationals by 23 runs in a game of six overs each in the GT20 Canada tournament at TD Arena on Sunday. With this win Montreal Tigers has taken its points tally to nine from six games, one point ahead of Brampton Wolves who had their game against Mississauga Panthers cancelled because of a wet outfield.

Chasing a total of 78 for win in six overs, Toronto Nationals had their openers Smit and Bravo retired hurt but their replacements Raza and Hamanza failed to accelerate enough pace to force a win. Toronto Nationals ended with 54 with Bravo and Smit retired.

Batting first Montreal Tigers had their first three runs from extras while both openers Chris Lynn and Waseem hit every ball for singles and twos to notch up nine off Fazal.

Chris Lynn greeted Saad Bin Zafar with a towering six followed by a sizzling drive for a four and Waseem too had a boundary in the second over that got Tigers 17 runs. The next two overs by Zaman and Sikandar proved costly for Nationals as 28 runs each came off them with both Lynn and Waseem hitting the maximums to take the score to 62 for no loss. It was in the fifth over that Tigers lost Waseem, caught at long on for 24. Rutherford who came next hit Ashraf for two sixes to take the score to 75 for one. It was Zaman who bowled good length with a tight line control to concede only a single and a bye aa Tigers finished with 77 with Rutherford running himself out of the last ball while attempting ti steal a bye. Chris remained unbeaten on 37 from 15 balls.

Earlier,  it was cricket revellers’ patience that prevailed. As Sun came out in full blast late in the afternoon, umpires’ verdict in favour of six overs a side between Toronto Nationals and Montreal Tigers came to the great relief of hundreds of spectators who filled the stands hoping to see good quick-fire cricket at TD Arena in Brampton on  Sunday. After a day’s rest on Monday, Brampton Wolves now play their last round-robin league game on Tuesday against Surrey Jaguars.

The first game between Brampton Wolves and Mississauga Panthers was called off with each team getting a point for the abandoned or cancelled game. With this point, Wolves took their tally to 8 points from six games. Montreal Tigers after collecting a point from yesterday’s cancelled game has seven points from five games. Toronto Nationals were placed fourth at the end of their last cancelled game against Montreal Tigers. Interestingly, the two teams have been drawn to be face-to-face with each other in less than 36 hours for their return match.

The spectators’ expectations were given a boost by the third inspection of the outfield at 4.45 pm. Though a drizzle in the late forenoon and early afternoon led to the cancellation of the first Game between Brampton Wolves and Mississauga Panthers, there were still some wet patches left in the outfield. Though the ground staff worked hard to make the outfield playable by spraying saw dust, still umpires in their first two inspections found the ground unfit for play. It was the third inspection that brought cheers to spectators who had been waiting patiently to watch some action. Though music and cheer girls tried to keep them amused, still the most asked thing was a good game of cricket, even if it was six overs a side.

Against the scheduled start of the game at 3.30. Umpires ruled for a toss at 5.15 and the start of the game at 5.45 pm. Against 80 overs that were originally scheduled to be bowled in two games on Sunday, a wet outfield reduced the play to 16 overs only.
Toronto Nationals won the toss and as expected opted to field first.

Prabhjot Singh