DESPITE a five-wicket haul from fast bowler Kellon Carmichael, Berbice Under-23 cricketers still managed to walk away with a two-wicket victory and the Colin Wiltshire Memorial trophy over Demerara Under-23, thanks to a man-of-the-match innings from middle order batsman Seon Hetmyer at the Demerara Cricket Club ground yesterday.
Winning the toss and opting to take first strike, Demerara who were 100-3 at the end of 16 overs, managed to reach 204-7 from their 45 overs thanks to the batting of Joseph Perry who struck two sixes and one four in his unbeaten 45, to which Berbice scored 207-8 in reply from 44.3 overs, thanks to Hetmyer’s unbeaten 87 (3×4; 3×6).
The pugnacious-looking Wasim Haslim who struck Steven Latcha for back-to-back sixes, offered support to Perry with 28 (2×6, 1×4) while Elton Baker scored 22 (1×4), Vishaul Singh 21 (1×4) and Travis Blyden and Andre Stoll 19 each, with Stoll hitting two sixes and Blyden one four in Demerara’s innings.
Latcha led the Berbice bowling with 2-30 and national fast bowler Keon Joseph who was struck for two fours by Trevon Griffith (08) and one six in the final over by Stoll, took 2-44 from five overs and there was a wicket each for skipper Eugene La Fleur and Eon Hooper.
When Berbice batted a vocal crowd cheered on the home team, following Carmichael’s burst in the first five overs to leave the Ancient County team on 39-3, as he sent back Harrinarine Chattergoon (4), Eon Hooper (0) and Ranga Latchana (8) in successive overs.
Former national Under-19 skipper Anthony Bramble who made a fighting 32 (5×4, 1×6), fought fire with fire when he went down the wicket and pull Stoll over midwicket for six, followed by a glorious extra cover drive off national Under-19 right-arm leg-spinner Amir Khan (1-16).
After surviving several confident lbw shouts against Khan, Bramble got a thick outside edge to Haslim at point at 69-4 then La Fleur joined Hetmyer.
The diminutive left-handed La Fleur who led the Guyana/TCL Under-19 team two years ago, opened his account with a six struck off a Totaram Bishun free hit, after being caught by Rajendra Chandrika at short midwicket off the previous delivery which was a no-ball.
Haslim replaced Khan at the Crown Street end of the ground and he too was struck over wide long-on by La Fleur who went on to add 77 for the fifth wicket with Hetmyer, before Khan took a tumbling catch at long-on off Griffith to send him back.
Hetmyer soldiered on for his team, picking up the odd boundaries while taking the singles and after passing his 50, he struck Stoll for two sixes over long-on and extra cover, as Berbice inched closer to their victory target.
They managed to reach same in the final over when Fraser who was unbeaten on 13 drove Griffith to long-off for four, but not before Carmichael had removed another one of their batsmen to end with 5-44 from nine overs of steady bowling.
Both Khan and Griffith took one wicket apiece in support to Carmichael for Demerara, whose fielding in the latter stages of the game, which was organised by both the Demerara and Berbice Cricket Boards, left much to be desired.
Both Hetmyer and Berbice received a trophy which was named after Wiltshire, a former player and administrator and when the two teams meet in the return fixture next Wednesday at the Albion Sports Club ground, they will be battling for the Leslie Amsterdam trophy.
Carmichael grabs five but Hetmyer helps Berbice wrest Colin Wiltshire trophy
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