..Gajanand -Singh hits ton for DCC
GEORGETOWN Cricket Club’s skipper Leon Johnson who was later named man- of- the- match, struck a patient century to upstage Gajanand Singh’s resilient ton,  earlier, for Demerara Cricket Club, as the former lifted the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) organised Queensway
sponsored 50- overs Open title yesterday.
Responding to DCC’s 226 all out scored off 47.2 overs of which  Singh topscored with 122 (10×4, 2×6), in the match which was played at the GCC ground, the home team reached 227 for 4 from 41.2 overs, thanks to Johnson’s 104 (9×4, 1×6) and Vishal Singh’s unbeaten 52.
DCC without the services of West Indies duo in all-rounder Christopher Barnwell and wicketkeeper/batsman Derwin Christian won the toss and opting to bat first, would have entertained regrets after being shakily placed on 41 for 4 in the 11th over.
The Queenstown based club lost Andrew Lyght Jnr (01), Trevon Griffith (08), Jamal Hinckson (09) and skipper Travis Dowlin, who was adjudged lbw despite getting a loud inside edge, off the bowling of fast bowlers Joshua Wade (2-36) and Kevin Ogle (2-32).
National T20 all rounder Paul Wintz (11) joined forces with Gajanand Singh and pushed the score to 64 before he was given out stumped by wicketkeeper Tyrell Tull off Raj Nannan (2-53), even though his right leg was approximately eight inches behind the popping crease.
Despite the dubious decisions from the umpires which were accountable for the demise of Dennis Squires who was also lbw to Nannan at 115 for 8, Gajanand Singh continued to show resilience for his adopted club.
Two fours which were struck gloriously through extra cover off Nannan, followed by a six over long on raised his team’s hope as they passed the 150 mark and he followed it with another four this time over extra cover off Johnson’s bowling.
He found a useful ally in Carlyle Boston (16) with whom he added 74 for the ninth wicket before Boston was bowled off the inside edge by Jeetendra Sookdeo (2-9), leaving Gajanand Singh on 98 as Totaram Bishun strolled to the wicket with DCC on 189 for 9.
Deservedly, Gajanand Singh got his century and the first in the tournament from 106 deliveries, hitting eight fours and two sixes and celebrated with an inside out four over extra cover off Johnson while adding 33 for the final wicket with Bishun.
However, in his attempt to post more runs on the board, Gajanand Singh picked out Ricardo Jadunauth at long on when he looked to hit Sookdeo over the boundary, having faced 127 deliveries and hitting 10 fours and two sixes, leaving Bishun undefeated on 6.
Sookdeo, Wade, Ogle and Nannan took two wickets each for GCC whose reply was off to a horrendous start when they lost Robin Bacchus who was lbw to Wintz off the second delivery of their innings without scoring.
Johnson joined Jadunauth and they added 31 for the second wicket from 6.5 overs, before Jadunauth who struck Wintz for two fours with disdain through point, was lbw to Squires whose 3 for 48 earned him the best bowling performance of the final for which he received an award at the presentation ceremony which followed.
Entered Vishal Singh to the scene and in partnership with Johnson, carried the home team to within touching distance of their eventual victory as they added 148 for the third wicket from 25.4 overs.
While Vishal Singh is known to play his shots in front of the wicket, it was Johnson who took the fight to a hapless looking DCC bowling attack by hitting both Boston and Squires for boundaries through point, while he on drove Omesh Dhanram for another one of his nine fours.
With his partner being content to rotate the strike, even though he cut loose once with a four off Griffith courtesy of a sweep shot to backward squareleg, Johnson went into over drive by hitting Gajanand Singh for six over long on and posted his ton which was well deserved, when he pushed the 104th delivery he faced from Dhanram to long on for a single.
A brilliant stumping from Denver Greaves off Squires accounted for Johnson with GCC on 179 for 3 which later became 185 for 4 following the demise of Sookdeo (05) who was lbw to Squires, but that was the last hurrah for DCC.
Gavin Singh joined his namesake Vishal and struck four fours including a sweetly timed cut through point off Dhanram to open his account, as he was unbeaten on 28 scored off 25 deliveries when Vishal steered a short ball from Griffith to third man for three.
Squires (3 for 48) and Wintz with 1 for 35 were the lone wicket- takers for DCC who were left to settle for the runner-up prize of $80,000 and a trophy. GCC took home $120,000 and a trophy, while both teams received medallions.