ACTION in this year’s Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)-organised, Carib Beer-sponsored T20 cricket competition continued recently with second-round matches across the Ancient County, in which debutants Cotton Tree recorded an upset victory over the much-fancied Blairmont Cricket Club.

Having suffered a first-round defeat to Bush Lot United Rising Star, Cotton Tree asked Blairmont to bat first. They did well to post 173 in their 17 overs despite off-spinner Roshan Gaffoor picking up 4 for 28 from 4 overs.
In their reply, Cotton Tree stumbled to 30 for 3 before Lakeraj Sookra struck nine sixes and three fours in his 85 which, together with 31 from Heeralall Bridgelall, guided them to a four-wicket victory with 5 balls to spare.
Former Berbice Under-19 batsman Raffiel Estriado slammed 70 (6×4, 3×6) to spearhead West Berbice to 181 in 20 overs against Bush Lot United Rising Star who in their response ran up against two of Guyana’s fastest bowlers in Keon Joseph (4 for 18) and Brandon Bess (2 for 28) and succumbed for 98.
After Bermine found themselves on a slippery slope at 43 for 4 in 10 overs against Universal DVD Young Warriors, their number six Keion De Jesus slammed a quick 63 off 36 balls including five fours and a similar number of sixes to steer them to 136 for 8 in their 20 overs.
When Warriors batted, national Under-19 pacer Romario Shepherd De Jonge accounted for their two former national batsmen – Richard Ramdeen for 0 and Gajanand Singh for 2 – to have them 31 for 2,giving Bermine some hope.
But it was shortlived as the Hetmyer brothers – current Guyana Under-19 batsman Shimron with 52 (10×4, 1×6) and former Guyana Under-19 batsman Seon Hetmyer who struck four fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 58 – hammered the Bermine bowling to see their team to a comfortable six-wicket victory.
In scores from the matches played:
At Blairmont, Cotton Tree Die Hard beat Blairmont Community Centre by 4 wickets. In the match reduced to 17 overs-a-side because of the late arrival of the visiting team, Blairmont Community Centre chose to bat first scoring 173 for 5 in 17 overs with Christopher Pattadin 43, Wazim Haslim 36, Shabeer Baksh 29 and Roshan Gaffoor 4 for 28.
Cotton Tree Die Hard 175 for 6 in 16.1 overs with Lakeraj Sookra 85, Heeralall Bridgelall 31, Eon Abel 20, Shabeer Baksh 2 for 16 from 2 overs, Waqar Hassan 2 for 36 from 3 overs.
At Bush Lot, West Berbice defeated Bush Lot United Rising Star by 83 runs. West Berbice, winning the toss and batting first gathered 181 for 8 in 20 overs with Raffiel Estriado 70, Kwesi Mentore, Keno Gravesande 3 for 28 from 4 overs, Asif Khan 2 for 15 from 2 overs, Brentnol Woolford 2 for 43.
Bush Lot United Rising Star 98 for 9 in 20 overs with Totaram Sooknandan 24, Keon Joseph 4 for 18, Brendon Bess 2 for 28.
At Cumberland, Young Warriors Universal DVD hammered Bermine by 6 wickets. Bermine choosing to bat first made 136 for 8 in 20 overs with Keion De Jesus 63, Devendra Ramoutar 2 for 18 from 4 overs, Balram Samaroo 2 for 23 from 4 overs, Kevin Ramdeen 2 for 28.
Young Warriors Universal DVD sscored 138 for 4 in 18.4 overs with Seon Hetmyer 58 n.o; Shimron Hetmyer 52, Romario Shepherd De Jonge 2 for 46 from 3.4.