By Faizool  Deo

THADDEUS Lovell led with ball and bat to propel Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) to a thrilling two-wicket win against home team Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in the final of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Toucan Distributors U-15 competition.

GCC controlled most of the game (reduced to 46 overs) yesterday at DCC ground, but when their top order fell in the chase, it exposed their tail and the defending champions were able to bowl themselves back into the clash. A thrilling battle ensued, with GCC able to fend off a spirited DCC team.

The visitors won the toss and with Lovell delivering with his pace bowling, they were able to restrict DCC to 158 all out in 44.1 overs.

Lovell, who took the key wicket of opener Jaden Campbell for 48, finished with 4-42 from 9.1 overs.

West Indies U-16 cricketer Mavindra Dindyal supported with 3-37 from nine overs bowling both off-spin and leg-spin. Campbell, who finished with the most runs in the tournament, struck five fours and a six in his innings, and he looked set to take his team to a respectable total, but he lacked the support.

Only Jeremiah Hokenkirk with 19, Premkumar Permaul, and Jonathan Van Lange (2×4) with 11 each were able to pass double digits.

Lovell also dominated with the bat in the middle when GCC chased.  He scored a game-high 61 runs. He and skipper Zachary Jodah put together 85 runs for the third wicket after Dindyal had lost his wicket (bowled and caught) to Romeo Deonarine.

Deonarine and Jaden Dowlin, the son of former West Indies batsman Travis Dowlin, had pulled things back with their off-spin bowling, but the experience of Lovell and national U-15 captain Jodah proved to be too much. The GCC pair first rotated the strike with singles, before they played the big shots.

Lovell was particularly aggressive and spanked six fours and three huge sixes, one of which went on top of the clubhouse rooftop, in his score of 61.  When he fell, caught by a running Ragunauth at mid-off, off the bowling of medium pacer Joshua Walcott, the tables turned.

The visitors then lost five wickets, including Jodah (27) for 44 runs, as DCC played themselves back into the game.

Although the game ended in the penultimate over with two wickets still in hand, it could have gone differently if the home team did not use their pacers late.

Playing conditions dictated that 18 overs of pace have to be bowled, and so they had to forsake their spinners Kareem Caesar, Deonarine, Dowlin and Van Lange, who proved very effective down the stretch.

Caesar, who bowled two batsmen in his fourth over, finished with 2-14 from five overs to lead the attack for the eventual second-place finishers.