FOR the second successive week, Rajiv Ivan walked away with the man of the match award while Rose Hall Town’s Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTGG) carted off another title, when they defeated Karibee Rice Port Mourant (KRPM) by 36 runs to take the eighth Busta Champion of Champions title at the Area ‘H’ ground last Saturday.
Asked to take first strike on a wicket that was keeping low when play got underway three hours late and watched by Managing Director of Guyana Beverage Company Robert Selman and his Marketing Manager Shamieza Yadram, the home team laboured to 165 before being bowled out in the final over.
In reply, KRPM were bowled out for 129 made off 32.4 overs, as Ivan ripped through the batting like hot knife through butter on his way to claiming 3 for 35 from seven overs, while he took a magnificent one handed over-head catch at short midwicket to remove the dangerous Shastri Persaud without scoring.
Earlier, Delbert Hicks (12) and Dominique Rikhi (09) carried the score to 24 in the sixth over before they were both dismissed in the space of two balls, with Hicks going via the run out route while Rikhi was caught at cover driving on the up against Shameer Khan (1-14).
Renwick Batson who topscored with 28 and Khemraj Mahadeo 19 pushed the score to 63 before Mahadeo who had earlier struck Thakurdeen (2-38) for six was bowled by former Guyana and West Indies Under-19 skipper Andre Percival (2-28) in the 18th over.
Rajiv Ivan who was the home team’s hero in their Berbice Cricket Board/Ramcharitar Construction Services first division tourney the previous week, joined Batson, but after hitting Thakurdeen over his head effortlessly for six  was caught off the leading edge by Percival at extra cover in the next over.
Eon Hooper replaced him but never suggested permanence, hence, it was no surprise when he was adjudged lbw to Thakurdeen for 4 and when Batson who also struck Thakurdeen over his head for six was run out after being sent back by Clinton Pestano, RHTGG were shakily placed on 109 for 6.
Even though Jason Sinclair struck three fours in his unbeaten 25, RHTGG who won the tournament six out of seven times prior to Saturday’s final, failed to reach the 175 mark that was targeted by their management team.
Thakurdeen top scored with 29 in KRPM’s innings, but the lost of wickets at regular intervals along with the splendid fielding display put on by the home team, resulted in them winning the championship’s top prize for the seventh time.
Thakurdeen added 16 for the first wicket with Mahendra Veerasammy (01) before the latter was brilliantly caught by Shawn Pereira who ran back from gully to short third man to take the offer, leading the RHTGG team, for the second successive final,  to victory at the tender age of 16.
Troy Mc Kenzie replaced Veerasammy but after adding 37 for the second wicket with Thakurdeen who struck Batson for six, was bowled by Hooper and when Ivan took his catch at short midwicket to account for Persaud, the writing was beginning to make itself clear on KRPM’s wall.
Pereira bowled Thakurdeen in the 17th over before Ivan removed both Percival who rolled back the years with a six and four in his 16 and Shameer Khan (20, 2×4) to leave the visitors shakily placed on 103 for 7 in the 29th over of their innings, while he himself was on a hat trick.
C. Arjune avoided the hat trick by pushing Ivan to long off for a single, but the batsman can count himself lucky, while the bowler can say he was unfortunate, when Arjune hoisted him to the same long off position two balls later, only to see Sinclair step into the boundary after claiming the catch.
It was not a costly miss as B. Persaud was taken by Batson off Loyydel Lewis for 02 while Arjune was run out two overs later for 14 and when B. Deolall lost his off stump to Hooper without scoring the very next delivery after Arjune’s demise, RHTGG were celebrating their second title won within six days.
Ivan 3 for 35, Hooper 2 for 12 and Pereira 2 for 22 all contributed to their team’s victory which was witnessed by national skipper Assad Fudadin and middle order batsman Royston Crandon. The victors took home $80,000 and a trophy; KRPM were forced to settle for the runner-up prize of $50,000 and a trophy; while Ivan received $10,000 and a trophy for his efforts.