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Published Jul 30, 2023 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 3 minute read
Muhammad Waseem of Montreal Tigers bats during Match 17 of GT20 against the Toronto Nationals at the CAA Centre in Brampton, on July 30, 2023.
Pal PILLAI /Focus Sports/ GT20
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When a cricket tournament is staged on what is normally a public pitch with insufficient drainage, a generous helping of rain has the potential to be a major disruption. That was the case in Brampton on Sunday.
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Fans came in larger numbers than in previous days to TD Cricket Arena and though they enjoyed the sunshine and music, it appeared for much of the day the only cricket taking place was courtesy of a few fans who brought bats and took a few knocks on a paved strip behind the stands.
Obviously, Saturday’s scheduled play in Global T20 Canada between the Toronto Nationals and Montreal Tigers and the match between the Vancouver Knights and Surrey Jaguars were quickly cancelled as rain drenched the pitch. But with a dry evening and morning, everyone was optimistic play would resume Sunday. It was not to be for the Brampton Wolves and Mississauga Tigers as the umpires were not satisfied after three inspections of the outfield that it was in shape for cricket and those teams found themselves on the bus back to the hotel.
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If there’s any silver lining to that, the Mississauga Tigers were awarded a point for the no-result, ensuring they won’t end the tournament with what cricket people call a ‘duck.’ Of course, fans continued to party in the stands and around the grounds, optimistic that the second scheduled meeting between the Nationals and Tigers would get under way. Again, the umpires took three inspections of the pitch and just before 5 p.m., finally declared the ground fit for play. So at 5:45, the teams began a six-over-per-side match. Yes, a whole 36 balls each at a critical stage of the tournament with playoff spots on the line. As one would expect, it was a bash-fest, at least for Montreal. Chris Lynn made 38 including two boundaries and three sixes for the Tigers.
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Saad Bin Zafar of Toronto Nationals bowls during Match 17 of GT20 against the Montreal Tigers held at the CAA Centre in Brampton, on 30th July 2023. (Pal PILLAI /Focus Sports/ GT20) Muhammed Waseem had two sixes as part of his score of 24. Sherfane Rutherford had seven as Montreal finished 77 for two in an overs that lasted 31 minutes. Faheem Ashraf took the only wicket as Rutherford was run out. Toronto could not come close to matching that total. Kaleem Sana only allowed one run in his over. Abbas Afridi only allowed six. Darren Bravo and JJ Smit made 15 and 16 respectively as Toronto’s openers before they retired out. Sikandar Raza added seven and Hamza Tariq 10 as Toronto only managed 54, losing by 23. The players were all appreciative of the attempts to make sure the surface was playable. “We’ve got some big bodies and these guys play cricket around the world,” Tigers captain Chris Lynn said. “Safety is important for the players and we have to give credit to the umpires. They used common sense. The communication was excellent throughout the day.”
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Even though six-overs really doesn’t test a cricket team, the sides were just happy to get some action. “We don’t really mind whether its 20 overs or six overs. We were just glad to get a game in,” Nationals captain Tariq said. “The crowd was waiting all day and they got some entertainment.” “We were happy, not with the loss, but in terms of getting the game in.” Two more days of play remain as five teams are still in the hunt for the four playoff positions. On Tuesday, and we now have the obligation to advise this is weather permitting, the Wolves and Jaguars meet at 11 a.m. followed at 3:30 p.m. with the Tigers taking on the Knights. The Panthers complete their schedule on Wednesday at 11 a.m. against the Jaguars. The Nationals and Knights will conclude the schedule at 3:30. The top two teams will face each other on Friday for a spot in the final. The third and fourth-place teams will meet in an elimination game with the winner heading to the semifinal against the loser of the 1-2 game. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds.
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