… West Dem finish as second runners-up
DEFENDING champions Georgetown, on the back of a superb batting performance from Shameer Fazal, easily retained their Demerara Cricket Board (DCB)-organised and sponsored Under-19 Inter-association title, when they defeated East Coast by eight wickets in the final at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) ground yesterday. At the Lusignan Community Centre (LCC) ground, West Demerara defeated East Bank Demerara by five wickets, to end the tournament as second runners-up to the defending champions.
At the MSC ground, East Coast who had defeated East Bank in their encounter, won the toss and, opting to take first strike, crumbled against the pace/spin combination that was in operation for the defending champions for a meagre 93 from 39.3 overs.
Arif Habib 28 (2×4), Darren Fredericks 20 (3×4), Dinesh Mangal 14 (1×4) and Azad Mohammed (11) were the only batsmen to get into double figures, with Habib and Mangal’s 30-run sixth-wicket partnership being the lone one of significance for their team.
Police Sports Club (PSC) left-arm swing bowler Andre Stoll, Christopher Surat, Raj Nanan and vice-captain Amir Khan took two wickets each for 9, 16, 18 and 24 runs respectively for Georgetown who in reply reached 94-2 from 18.1 overs.
They had lost their pugnacious opener Quincy Ovid-Richardson (6) and number three batsman Dayanand Roopnarine (5) to be 17-2 after five overs, but Fazal who struck four fours and one maximum in his 62-ball 38 and Clive Hyman 30 (35 balls, 4×4), added 77 for their unbroken third-wicket partnership to see their team home.
Daniel Gravesande and Daryl Ross took one wicket each for 17 and 39 runs respectively, but they could not prevent the defending champions from romping to victory in front of a small crowd that included president of the DCB, Bissoondyal Singh, and chairman of selectors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Clyde Butts.
At the LCC ground, West Demerara coasted to a five-wicket victory over a hapless-looking East Bank Demerara team in their match-up.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat first, East Bank Demerara were bundled out for 121 from 34 overs, with Romel Peters and Mark Rhobe who added 58 for the third wicket, being their principal scorers with 43 and 35 respectively – the latter hitting seven fours and the former six.
Bowling for West Demerara, Harrinarine Bishundial took 4-21 and received support from Ameer Khan and Kevin Lindo who took 3-30 and 2-24 respectively, then watched as their team reached 122-5 from 28.4 overs, to complete the win.
Vickash Dhanram 32 (3×6), Ameer Khan 28 (2×4) and Doesh Sookhoo 16 (3×4) were the leading batsmen for West Demerara against the bowling of Jagdesh Bishun and Kamal Ramkissoon who took two wickets each for 19 and 42 runs respectively.
Meanwhile, chairman of the junior selection panel of the DCB, Nazimul Drepaul, informed Chronicle Sport that the Demerara team to contest the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)-organised GTM-sponsored Under-19  Inter-county championships, will be selected next week.