DCB/NALICO/NAFICO Under-15 final …

ONCE  again, East Coast’s skipper Brian Sattaur turned in an exemplary performance with the bat and with worthy support from Premraj Lall with the ball, steered their team to an upset victory over defending champions Georgetown by 11 runs in the final of the Demerara Cricket Board’s (DCB)-organised NALICO/NAFICO-sponsored Under-15 Inter-association limited overs competition yesterday.

Playing at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) ground, East Coast, who won the toss and opted to take first strike, faltered even though Sattaur who struck six fours in his 42-ball 40 and Vivian Albert (5) added 45 for the first wicket.

Spin in the form of leg-spinner Vishal Narayan who took 2-10 from his 10 overs and Steven Sankar (4-23) pegged things back for the defending champions who bowled out their opponents for 135 from 42.3 overs, with Owen Andrews (25) and Kamesh Yadram 17 with two fours each, offering support to Sattaur.

When Georgetown began their reply, they should have lost Tagenarine Chanderpaul at the end of the first over, but Yadram, who was stationed at point, dropped the chance he offered when on four, when he cut at a short delivery from fast bowler Travis Best (2-25).

But that and even the umpires’ decision to rule Chanderpaul not out when he was found short of his ground by a direct hit from Yadram in the next over did not deter the newly crowned champions, as they took wickets at regular intervals thanks to Lall.

Chanderpaul, who batted 44 overs for his top score of 34 runs before he was the last man out when he played on to a short delivery from Best, was forced to retire hurt with an upset stomach, with his team faltering on 105-8 and shocking to say, no medical personnel was on hand to render assistance to the young batsman.

A crest-fallen Dexter George who was unbeaten on 26 (2×4), tried valiantly to steer his team to victory, when the frontline batsmen including Terrence Alstrom (7) and Andrew Gibson (13) who both came off the mark with pugnacious extra cover drives for boundaries, failed.

But even though East Coast, who, like the other two sub-associations affiliated to the DCB had never won the competition now in its ninth year, conceded 32 extras, the writing was on the wall for Georgetown, who fell short by 11 runs.

At the simple presentation ceremony that followed the match, Sattaur received a trophy after being adjudged the man-of-the-match. Both East Coast (newly crowned champions) and Georgetown received trophies.