Final four on today at Guyana National Stadium
FOLOWING the successful support given to the second annual DJ Stress Twenty20 Festival last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, cricket fans are expected to throng the venue once again when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)-organised, Digicel-sponsored Summer Smash Twenty20 competition climaxes with the final four from today.
Following their team’s success in the DJ Stress Festival, Berbicians are expected to come in their hundreds, as a team from the Ancient County will make it to the final tomorrow, following the semi-final showdown between Upper Corentyne Free Weekend and New Amsterdam’s Free Credit today from 19:00 h.
In the other semi-final, Georgetown’s Flex Text will oppose East Coast’s Flex Check in what should be a match of high expectations, taking into consideration Georgetown’s early exit in the DJ Stress Festival at the hands of eventual champions Universal DVD Club’s Berbice Titans.
Free Weekend’s path to the final four was an easy one, as they recorded victories over West Berbice’s Free Talk and Free Credit in their preliminary round matches, before defeating Free Credit in the zone final at the Port Mourant ground.
They went on to defeat West Demerara’s Javelin by 10 wickets in a rain-reduced Super Six encounter, before they humbled East Coast’s Flex Check by 44 runs in another rain-reduced encounter.
After defeating West Berbice’s Free Talk, New Amsterdam’s Free Credit suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Upper Corentyne Free Weekend, followed by a humiliating 58-run defeat to Georgetown ’s Flex Text in the Super Six.
They bounced back to defeat South Essequibo’s Storm in the Super Six stages, which earned them the right to face their nemesis Upper Corentyne Free Weekend in what can be termed a revenge match for them.
National opener Sewnarine Chattergoon is sitting comfortably at the top of the averages and when he opens the batting with former West Indies youth opener Richard Ramdeen today for Free Weekend, he will be looking to ink his name into the minds of the senior selectors, taking into consideration the national T20 team will be picked from this tournament.
Add skipper Royston Crandon, former national youth all-rounder Jonathan Foo, Devon Clements, Rajiv Ivan and Krisendat Ramoo to the line-up and Free Credit’s work is certainly cut out for them.
Free Weekend’s bowling attack will be led by fast bowler Michael Newland who had an impressive spell against the powerful Hotel Tower New Line Cavaliers batting line-up, with worthy support from Ramoo, Clements, Chattergoon, Crandon, Devendra Bishoo and Steven Latcha.
Free Credit will be looking to skipper Renwick Batson along with Romain Boodram, Sherwin Murray, former national Under-19 skipper Eugene La Fleur, Jason Sinclair and Riad Ally to lead their batting charge.
La Fleur, Troy Matheson, Kelon Henry and Keyron Fraser are the men tasked with leading the bowling for their team against one of the better bating sides in this tournament to date, especially under the lights.
East Coast’s Flex Check should be brimming with confidence when they go up against Georgetown’s Flex Text in their semi-final encounter from 15:00 h, even though they were defeated by the same opponents in their preliminary round clash at the Uitvlugt ground.
They have included  talented all-rounder Lennox Cush, a player who has been making his name in this version of the game lately, in their line-up and along with Gajanand Singh, Paul Wintz, Tyrell Tull, skipper Zaheer Mohamed, the pugnacious Wasim Haslim and Vishnu Ramjit, Flex Text’s path to the final would definitely be blocked by Flex Check.
They already possess a powerful bowling attack which will be bolstered with the inclusion of Cush and Wintz, who will be lending valuable support to Mohammed, Lall, Ravi Singh, Darron Peters and former national Under-19 off-spinner Clive Andries.
Flex Text will be led by Leon Johnson who will be looking to the pugnacious Demerara Cricket Club pair of Christopher Barnwell and Trevon Griffith to give his team a magnificent start.
Added support in the batting department will come from West Indies opener Travis Dowlin, Ravi Sarwan, Steven Jacobs, Shemroy Barrington, Abilash Dookie, Troy Gonsalves and Dion Ferrier.
The bowling department will be taken care of by Barnwell, Trevon Garraway, Ferrier, Kelon Carmichael, Damian Van Tull and Jacobs, who was surprisingly used for one over in the DJ Stress Festival where he took a wicket.
The third place playoff and final will be played tomorrow at the same venue, with a 10/10 exhibition match involving the national female squad from 14:00 h, with the losing semi-finalists battling it out from 16:10 h, while the final will be played under the lights from 19:00 h.
East Coast Flex Check from: Lennox Cush, Christopher Patadin, Gajanand Singh, Paul Wintz, Ryan Ramdass, Wasim Haslim, Tyrell Tull, Vishnu Ramjit, Zaheer Mohammed, Clive Andries, Suresh Budhu, Ravi Singh, Imran Khan, Videsh Lall, Darron Peters and Surujpaul Deosarran
Georgetown  Flex Text from: Christopher Barnwell, Travis Dowlin, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Ravi Sarwan, Darwin Christian, Steven Jacobs, Dion Ferrier, Troy Gonsalves, Abilash Dookie, Kellon Carmichael, Trevon Garraway, Damion Van Tull, Shemroy Barrington and Totaram Bishun.
Upper Corentyne Free Weekend from: Sewnarine Chattergoon, Richard Ramdeen, Jonathan Foo, Royston Crandon, Ranga Latchana, Delbert Hicks, Homchand Pooran, Devon Clements, Krisendat Ramoo, Devendra Bishoo, Steven Latcha, Rajiv Ivan, Michael Newland and Harrinarine Yogewshar.
New Amsterdam Free Credit from: Romain Boodram, Renwick Batson, Anthony D’Andrade, Riad Ally, Sasenarine Sukhdeo, Anthony Bramble,
Sherwin Murray, Eon Hooper, Troy Matheson, Keyron Fraser, Eugene La Fleur, Davendra Thakurdeen, Jason Sinclair and Kellon Henry.