The P.A. Phantoms capped an undefeated season with a 55-run victory over Saskatoon Warriors Dynasty in the Saskatoon T20 Division C Cricket championship final on July 25.
The Phantoms won the toss and chose to bat, scoring 183 runs for the loss of only two wickets in their 20 overs. Dynasty was then dismissed for 128 in 19 overs.
Captain Gurprem Sidhu said Yadwinder Singh led the batting effort with an unbeaten 74 runs from 39 balls, including five fours and five sixes. Singh also took three wickets for 24 runs in four overs during Dynasty’s chase.
Singh was named the Division C most valuable player, best batter and player of the final. Sidhu, who took three catches in the championship game, was named the division’s best fielder, and Sourav Sharma was awarded the best wicket keeper of the tournament.
“It was a big moment for us,” Sidhu said. “A team from a small town outplayed all the big teams from Saskatoon.”
The Phantoms finished first in the nine-team Division C regular-season table with seven wins, no losses and one abandoned match. They were awarded their quarterfinal after the Scorchers forfeited, then defeated another Prince Albert club, the P.A. Jaguars, by seven runs in the semifinal.
The final brought the two leading regular-season teams together. The Phantoms had already beaten Dynasty by 27 runs in June before producing an even larger victory when the championship was on the line.
Dynasty started its chase quickly and reached 40 before losing its first wicket, but the Phantoms continued taking wickets and reduced them to 76 for seven. Along with Singh’s three wickets, Navjot Kalsi and Amritpal Singh took two each. Harmeet Singh allowed only 13 runs in four overs.
The title comes one year after the newly formed Phantoms reached the Division C final and lost. This season’s championship allows the team to move into Division B next year.
Sidhu said the victory should give Prince Albert residents another local team to celebrate, even if many are still unfamiliar with cricket.
“There are not many people in Prince Albert who know cricket is even a game, and there is a team from Prince Albert that outplayed all the teams from Saskatoon and won the tournament,” he said.
Sidhu owns Dr. Java’s Coffee House, one of the team’s sponsors along with Venice House Pizza. He said customers often ask him how cricket works, and some have attended matches at the cricket ground near Red Wing School after seeing his photographs and videos.
When introducing the sport, Sidhu usually begins by comparing it to baseball. In T20 cricket, each team bats once for a maximum of 20 overs, with six legal deliveries in each over. The first team sets a score and the second tries to chase it before running out of overs or losing all 10 wickets.
The Prince Albert Cricket Association now has four clubs representing the city in Saskatchewan competition. Sidhu said the association also wants more children and residents without previous experience to give the sport a chance.
A youth introduction program held last year attracted more than 20 children and their parents. Sidhu said equipment was provided and participants were not required to pay a fee to try the program.
That can make cricket an accessible option for families who may be concerned about the upfront cost of organized sports. New players can learn with shared equipment before deciding whether to purchase their own bat, pads, helmet and other gear.
Sidhu said the association hopes to develop enough young players to eventually field Prince Albert teams in provincial youth competition. Future programs are promoted through the association’s social media pages, with indoor sessions generally held after the outdoor season.
The team would also like to see more local volunteers, business sponsors and spectators. Sidhu said indoor batting cages would help players and youth practise through the winter.
“We just invite everybody to come watch the games and build a strong local cricket community in Prince Albert,” he said.
The Phantoms have already moved on to a 35-over competition, but Sidhu said the goal remains the same. After winning one championship, they want another.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
