… GCB boss expresses disappointment
BRILLIANT sunshine, a marked pitch but not a ball was bowled on the final day of the second-round match between Demerara and the Rest XI at the Police Sports Club Eve Leary ground yesterday.

The reason is a private school’s athletics programme, which was scheduled in advance, and coincided with the final day’s play of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)-sponsored President’s Cup four-day competition, which is being played between the abovementioned teams along with Essequibo and Demerara.

Scores so far in the match: Rest XI 444 and 254 for 4; Demerara 354

The Rest XI were set to resume their second innings on 254-4, a lead of 344 with six wickets in hand, Vishal Singh in sight of a ton after being unbeaten on 97 the previous afternoon with Ryan Ramdass, 53, against the bowling of Demerara’s skipper Zaheer Mohammed who had so far taken 2-47.

Meanwhile, Berbice, who recorded a comfortable innings and 371-run victory over Essequibo the previous afternoon, lead the points standing with 24, followed by Demerara on 15, Rest XI 10 and Essequibo 4.

President of the GCB, Chetram Singh, expressed his disappointment at the outcome of the game, which deprived his namesake, but not relative, Vishal Singh from attaining a century, the second one for his team in the match, after skipper Derwin Christian blazed his way to 130 in his team’s first innings score of 444.

“I am very, very, very disappointed at the nature of the whole affair, seeing that we got permission to play a four-day game and even though three of those days went by, nobody told us anything with regard to the unavailability of the ground for the final day.

Had we known this would have been the situation, we would have utilised any one of the alternate venues such as Everest, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) or Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) to host the game and definitely we would have had four full days of cricket.”

Singh, who is the longest-serving director on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), further stated, “It was only on the final morning (yesterday) when the players turned up to contest the final day of the match, they were told play would not be possible, as the ground was rented out to somebody for that day, hence no play was possible.

I tried several times to make contact with the Commissioner of Police Henry Greene but was told he was in a meeting and as you are aware, that ground which is one of the better first class grounds in Georgetown, due to its fast-drying capabilities, is often used by the GCB for Inter-county matches at all levels as well as practice games. But that does not conceal my disappointment at not being able to finish off a four-day game.”

Due to the non-conclusion of the match, any result at the stage of the abandonment, which was the Rest XI taking first innings points from Demerara, will stand, as both teams head into the final round of matches which will be played from next Tuesday, with Berbice and Demerara meeting at the Everest Cricket Club ground while Essequibo and the Rest XI will face each other at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground.