Defending Champions RHT Pepsi defeat Tucber Park to reach final
DEFENDING champions Rose Hall Town Pepsi (RHT Pepsi) held their nerves last Saturday to defeat Tucber Park by 15 runs in their semi-final matchup of the 2010 Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)-organised, Spready’s Bakery-sponsored Under-19 Inter-club 50 overs tournament at the Area ‘H’ ground. Seeking a hat-trick of Under-19 titles, the home team, playing in front of a large crowd, were led to victory by their spinning trio of Dominic Rikhi, captain Lloydel Lewis and national Under-15 skipper Shawn Pereira.
Batting first after winning the toss, RHT Pepsi were given a solid opening stand of 35 by Rikhi and Hemant Kalloo in 6.3 overs, before Kalloo was caught and bowled by off-spinner Joemal La Fleur for 7.
Rikhi and national Under-15 player Parmanand Narine then featured in a crucial 49-run second-wicket partnership before Rikhi, in a rush of blood, threw his wicket away, caught on the midwicket boundary off left–rm spinner Charles Sulker for a well played 47 (4×4, 1×6).
Sulker also dismissed Narine at 87 for 3 in the 19th over for 20, but solid contributions from Pereira 22 and Lloydel Lewis 21 eventually led Rose Hall Town Pepsi to 151 before they were bowled out in 43 overs, as the last four wicket fell for just 6 runs.
Bowling for Tucber Park, Sulker and Kevin Leitch claimed three wickets each for 16 and 28 runs respectively.
In search of 152 runs to record an upset victory, the visitors were rocked backed by a double strike by off-spinner Lewis who dismissed T. Bynoe (6) and the experienced Jamally Odle for 0 to leave them at 20 for 2 in the seventh over.
The aggressive Tregon Henry was then brilliantly caught and bowled by Rikhi for 23 at 32 for 3 before Joemal La Fleur 42 (8×4) and Romario De Jonge who was the last wicket to fall for 40, added a solid 53 for the fourth wicket.
Pereira then held a stinging return catch to account for La Fleur and when Leitch was caught by George Hughes at square leg for 5, Tucber Park were left on 90-5 in the 27th over of their innings.
Andel De Jonge was then stumped by Vidal Crandon off Pereira for 7, at 107 for 6, and De Jonge single-handily fought to keep his team in the fight but it was all in vain as they were dismissed for 136 from 40.3 overs.
Pereira ended with 4-40, Lewis 3-17 and Rikhi 2-28 for RHT Pepsi, who will play the winner of the Albion/Port Mourant semifinals in the final on a date and venue to be decided by the BCB.