A BRILLIANT all-round performance from National Under-15 player Shailendra Shameer led Lower Corentyne to an easy 44-run victory over New Amsterdam/Canje in the finals of the Berbice Cricket Board/Diamond Fire and General Insurance Company Inter-Zone Under-19 Tournament at the Albion Community Centre last weekend.
The final was reduced to a 40-over per innings match after a heavy thunderstorm washed the entire first day on Saturday and it took the hard work of the ground staff to enable play on Sunday.
Shameer, who now plays for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) and was later declared the man-of-the-match, scored a vital 25 in his team’s innings and then returned with the ball to take 3 for 21 with his off spin.
Batting first after losing the toss, Lower Corentyne were given a 24-run opening partnership by the Albion pair of Harrinarine Chattergoon and Kandasammy Surujnarine before Chattergoon was caught behind off impressive pacer Teshna Harry for 7.
It soon became 26 for 2 when Surujnarine was also dismissed by Harry for 9, before national Under-19 batsman Dominic Rikhi and former national Under-15 batsman Clinton Pestano added 40 for the third wicket before Rikhi was caught off the bowling of off-spinner Joemal La Fleur.
Pestano was bowled by Kelvin Leitch for an aggressive 30 and Andy Mohan caught off La Fleur for 1, to leave Lower Corentyne on 78 for 5 in the 24th over, before they reached 151 for 8 in the allotted 40 overs with Shameer (25), the impressive Sharmindra Hardyal 28 not out, Loyden Lewis 15 and Collis Cort 13 not out being the principal scorers.
Bowling for New Amsterdam/Canje La Fleur, Harry and Romario De Jonge took two wickets each for 14, 19 and 38 runs respectively.
In reply, New Amsterdam/Canje were given a strong opening partnership of 45 in 12 overs by Shimron Hetmyer and the highly talented Mortimer Fraser before Hetmyer was brilliantly caught by Collis Cort off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai at long off for 20.
Kelvin Leitch was soon dismissed by Motie-Kanhai without scoring at 56 for 2 and in a moment of total madness, Fraser, in trying to hit off-spinner Loydel Lewis out of the ground was brilliantly caught one-handed by a leaping Rikhi at long on for 32 (2 x 6).
Shameer then dismissed De Jonge (1) and the ultra aggressive Steve De Freitas (11) to leave New Amsterdam/Canje at 89 for 5 in the 30th over from which they never recovered despite a fighting 26 from La Fleur and were eventually dismissed for 107 in the 35th over.
Shameer and Motie-Kanhai ended with three wickets each for 21 and 20 runs while Lewis took 2 for 15 for Lower Corentyne.
The winning team received $50 000 and a trophy, the runners-up $30 000 and the man-of-the-final (Shameer) a trophy and $5 000.