THANKS to a superb effort in the field from young Kevin Ramdeen, host Universal DVD Young Warriors (UDYW) upset defending champions Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTGG) by nine runs at the Cumberland ground on Saturday to take this year’s Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Ramcharitar Constructor Services first division title.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, UDYW reached 292 for 8 from their 50 overs, with Gajanand Singh 78 (7×4, 1×6), Seon Hetmyer 50 and Kevin Ramdeen who made a whirlwind and unbeaten 36 at the depth of their innings, leading the way.
In reply, the defending champions who were heavily favored to retain the title before the contest got underway, were dismissed for 283 from 48.5 overs, with West Indies middle order batsman Assad Fudadin 63, Delbert Hicks and Clinton Pestano 53 each and Jason Sinclair 45 being their principal scorers.
Fudadin who struck 7×4, 1×6 and Hicks did what Gajanand Singh and Seon Hetmyer did for the home team when they batted earlier, by adding (111) for the third wicket to compensate for the early loss of Rikhi (06) and Batson 08 (1×6).
Fudadin hit Kevin Ramdeen for two fours in his first over, followed by a six in his second, while Hicks also struck the same bowler for a six as RHTGG progressed to 113 for 2 after 23 overs.
After posting his half century, Fudadin opened his shoulders by hitting Vishal Mohabir for back to back boundaries off successive deliveries, before he holed out to Seon Hetmyer at long on, leaving RHTGG on 127 for 3 at the half way stage, with Hicks who was on 49, being joined by Jason Sinclair.
Hicks got to his half century, but caught by Wahid Edwards off Mohabir for 53 (5×4, 1×6), paving the way for Clinton Pestano and Sinclair to add 85 for the fifth wicket, with Pestano hitting both Mohabir and Kevin Ramdeen for sixes.
He posted his half century with a massive six over midwicket off Kevin Ramdeen, before the bowler had the final say when he knocked back the batsman’s middle stump as he sought to run a short delivery down to the vacant fine leg position.
Pestano struck five sixes and one four in his 53 and his demise was followed by the wickets of Khemraj Mahadeo (01), Sinclair 45 (5×4) and Lloydel Lewis (04), as RHTGG slipped to 252 for 8 in the 44th over of their innings.
Needing to score a run a ball to record the win and retain their title, the home team who was spurred on by a vociferous throng of supporters, would not allow their guests to spoil their party and wrapped up the victory in the penultimate over when Kevin Ramdeen took an easy catch at long on to dismiss Eon Hooper for 25 (1×4, 1×6) off Gajanand Singh (2-21) in fading light.
Gajanand Singh’s bowling efforts complimented both Mohabir and Kevin Ramdeen who took three wickets each for 50 and 74 runs respectively, with the latter holding on to two catches in the crucial stage of the game to earn himself the man of the match award.
Earlier, the home team was indebted to a 96 runs third wicket partnership between Gajanand Singh and Seon Hetmyer, coupled with two quick fire innings from Kevin Ramdeen and Ishwar Singh which allowed them to reach their final score.
Openers Richard Ramdeen (13, 2×4) and Shimron Hetmyer 30 (3×4, 2×6) added 30 for the first wicket, with the latter hitting Fudadin over midwicket twice for six, before the introduction of Rikhi (2-57), accounted for the former who was caught at point by Hooper.
He was followed by his opening partner, who picked out Shawn Pereira at deep midwicket, in his attempt to hit Fudadin over that area for his third six, leaving UDYW on 65 for 2 in the 11th over, after posting their 50 in the 9th over of their innings.
Enter Gajanand Singh and Seon Hetmyer (50, 4×4; 1×6) to the wicket and following a cautious start, they set about Operation Recovery for their team with poise, grace and elegance, stroking the defending champions’ bowlers to all parts of the ground for boundaries.
The elder Singh counted his lucky stars after being put down at slip by Shalendra Shameer off Rikhi, by cover driving Pereira for back to back fours in successive overs, while he also recorded boundaries off Pestano whose four overs were wicket less, while he conceded 40 runs.
Seon Hetmyer stamped his authority on the bowling by hitting Shameer for two of his four fours, while he reached his half century by hitting Pereira over midwicket for his lone six, before he holed out to Sinclair in the same area off Rikhi.
Gajanand Singh brought up his half- century with a four after being dropped by Lloydel Lewis at deep midwicket off Shameer, before he was run out in a bizarre fashion by Fudadin, who fielded a full blooded drive from Balram Samaroo (18, 2×4) off his own bowling and threw down the wicket at the non-strikers end.
At 227 for 6 in the 43rd over following the demise of Samaroo, many felt the home team would not have reached their final total, but some lusty hitting from Kevin Ramdeen who struck four fours and Gajanand’s younger brother Ishwar  18 (3×4) had them thinking otherwise.
They added a quick fire 55 from 6 overs, with Ishwar Singh displaying an authoritative approach to Pestano, hitting him for three fours in one over, with one such shot piercing the cover region on its way to the boundary.
The younger Ramdeen also cashed in on the late boundary hitting act, by pulling Pestano who struggled to find his right line and length, through extra cover for four in the dying stages of his team’s innings, before he lost Ishwar Singh and Anil Beharry (01).
Hooper and Rikhi ended with two wickets each for 37 and 57 runs respectively for RHTGG, while Fudadin conceded 74 runs from his 10 overs for a solitary wicket and tried to make up with his responsible batting, which was not enough to see his team home in the end.