Tain, Skeldon Community Centre ease into the quarter-finals
TAIN and Skeldon Community Centre Cricket Clubs registered comfortable victories in their respective play-off matches to ease themselves into the quarter-finals of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)-organised New Building Society (NBS)-sponsored second division 40-over Cricket competition in the Ancient County.
In the play-off at the Tain Block Four ground, Tain defeated Yakusari Caribs of Black Bush Polder by 80 runs.
In the match which was reduced to 30 overs-a-side because of a delayed start due to rain, Tain won the toss, chose to bat first and launched an opening stand of 105 – Rudrunauth Lauchman (77) and Poorendra Debidyal (5). They were able to amass 248 for 7 in 30 overs with Mahendra Baldeo chipping in with 39. Bowling for Yakusari Monesh Lalu took 3 for 44 and Kishore Ayana 2 for 29.
When Yakusari Caribs replied they lost early wickets and could not get back into the hunt after that and were bowled out for 168 in 25.2 overs with Naipaul Ayana top-scoring with 44 and Narine Naresh 24. Bowling for Tain, Chandrashekar Arjune took 3-18, Rajendra Latcha 3-20 and Jaipersaud Rawana 2-33.
In the other play-off at Skeldon, Skeldon Community Centre beat No.70 Lalman by 8 wickets. 
Winning the toss and choosing to bat first, No 70 Lalman were bundled out for 84 in 29 overs with Wazir Hussain taking 3 for 9 for Skeldon, Jermain Reid 2 for 5 and Victor Pedro 2 for 17.
Skeldon Community Centre, led by an unbeaten 49 from Nirshaw Khan did not have many problems in securing their victory, as they reached 89 for 2 in 17 overs.