Defending champions squeeze into semis
TOURNAMENT hosts and defending champions Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets almost got their 20th anniversary spoilt by a youthful and determined Bermine team last Sunday, when action in the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC)-organised Busta Champion of Champions tournament got under way.
It took a masterful partnership between Berbice ‘A’ selectee Troy Mathieson and national Under-15 captain Shawn Perreira to lead them into the semifinals, where they joined Karibee Rice Port Mourant, West Berbice and Young Warriors who all recorded first-round victories in the four matches which were heavily affected by overnight rain.
At the Area ‘H’ ground, the match was reduced to 30 overs a side, with the home team inviting Bermine to take first strike.
Led by a mature 37 from skipper Eugene La Fleur, 31 from his brother Joemal and 30 from Devon Clements (3×6), Bermine reached a solid 148 for 9 against the bowling of Shawn Perreira, Renwick Batson and Damion Van Tull who took two wickets each for 12, 17 and 37 runs respectively.
In reply, a depleted home team, missing their three national players, found themselves in trouble at 117 for 7 in the 18th over, before the 21-year-old Mathieson and the 14-year-old Perreira came together with their team requiring 32 runs off 15 balls.
Mathieson scored 27 off nine balls with three sixes while the level-headed Perreira was left not out on 16 as RHT Gizmos and Gadgets ended on 149 for 7 in 19.3 overs to win by three wickets, against the bowling of Joemal La Fleur who took 2-37 for Bermine.
At the Port Mourant ground, it took the last pair of Bisham Deolall and Yogindra Harrinarine to add 14 runs to secure victory for the home team over the underdogs Berbice Police Sports Club.
Batting first, Berbice Police were dismissed for 126 in 29.3 of their allotted 45 overs, with Cylus Gibson 22, Albert Sinclair 18 and Michael Newland 16 being the principal scorers.
Rajiv Ivan (3-20) and Shameer Khan (3-36) were the main wicket-takers for Port Mourant who, in reply, found themselves in deep trouble at 29 for 5 in the 8th over before skipper Steven Latcha with 32, Rajendra Bolo 14 and Chandrashelaz Arjune 13 all batted well to take Port Mourant to 113 for 9.
It took the efforts of Deolall (11 not out) and Harrinarine (3 not out) who joined forces to take their team to victory against Kellon Henry (3-36), Andre Doris (2-20) and Newland with 2-23.
West Berbice secured a massive 121-run victory over Blairmont at the Blairmont Community Centre ground.
In a match reduced to 45 overs, West rattled up 216 for 7 with former Berbice opener Arthley Bailey (58), Kwesi Mentore (25), Krisendat Ramoo (27) and Leon Bristol (26) being top scorers while Nedesh Basdeo 3 for 48 and Waqar Hassan 2 for 30 bowled well for the home team.
In reply Blairmont were shot out for a meagre 95 in 36.1 overs, with only Romain Boodram 15 and Basdeo 21 offering any resistance to pacer national fast bowler Keon Joseph 2-24 and off-spinner Ramoo 2-11.
In the final first-round match at the Cumberland ground in Canje, Young Warriors defeated Rose Hall Canje by 81 runs.
Led by Ishwar Singh’s 38 (5×4), Shimron Hetmyer and Balram Samaroo 31 each and Seon Hetmyer 20, Young Warriors reached 175 before they were bowled out in the 42nd of their allotted 43 overs.
Bowling for Rose Hall Canje, Raid Ally took 3-15 and Vishaul Mohabir 3-36, but the visitors were shot out for 94, with only Videsh Singh who made 16 offering resistance to the bowling of left-arm pacer Devindra Ramoutar (3-31), Balram Samaroo (2-08) and Amir Rahaman (2-20).
Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC, Hilbert Foster, at a brief launching ceremony stated that this year’s edition of the Busta Champion of Champions was the seventh of its kind and was always one of the activities for the club’s 20th Anniversary.
He called on the clubs involved in the tournament to play in the game’s tradition of discipline, team spirit and unity and of the highest standard. He expressed gratitude to the Guyana Beverages Company for its continued investment into Berbice cricket and noted that the tournament was always well supported in Berbice and is one of the best organised in Guyana.