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PRE-TOURNAMENT favourites, Rose Hall Town Pepsi held their nerves in a tense atmosphere to defeat a determined D’Edward Cricket Club by one wicket to clinch the 2012 Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)/Neal and Massy Intermediate 50-overs tournament last Sunday. Playing in front of a fair-size crowd at the Albion Community Centre Cricket ground under hazy conditions, Rose Hall Town Pepsi were indebted to a tense last-wicket partnership of six runs from 42 balls by national player Arif Chan and former Berbice Under-19 player Ingram Dey who both ended unbeaten on 3.
Play was delayed by 90 minutes at the start of the day due to overnight rain, reducing the contest to a 40 overs-a-side. Asked to bat first after losing the toss, D’Edward were given a flying start of 31 in 4.3 overs by openers Romesh Boodram and Jagdeo Persaud before Boodram was dismissed by medium pacer Jason Sinclair for 19 (3×4).
Jagdeo was caught brilliantly by Devin Baldeo for 15 (3×4) off Dey to leave the visitors 35 for 2 in the 6th over, before seasoned middle order batsman Heeralall Bridgelall was removed by Sinclair for 3 at 38 for 3.
It took Derick Narine Jr (25) and Jaipaul Heeralall (20) to take D’Edward to 114 all out in 32 overs, with Lakraj Sukhra who batted at number 9, showing resistance with his 15 as Eon Hooper (4 for 27) and Sinclair who ended with 3 for 16, did the damage with the ball.
Needing to score 115 runs off 40 overs RHT Pepsi were given a solid start of 34 in 11 overs by former national Under-19 player Dominique Rikhi and Berbice Under-17 player Devin Baldeo before Rikhi ran himself out for 15 and Baldeo was caught off off-spinner Derick Narine Jr for 18 to leave Rose Hall Town Pepsi at 47 for 2.
Sinclair was caught behind by the highly impressive wicketkeeper Sukhra for 12 off Navindra Rampersaud, before former national player Delbert Hicks and his older brother Michael Hicks added 41 for the fourth wicket to take their team to 90 for 3 in the 25th over.
Michael Hicks was stumped off Romain Boodram for 8 and Hooper (2), Askay Homraj (2), Ravi Narine (3), Delbert Hicks 38 (2×6, 3×4) and Jamal Jarvis 0 were all dismissed to leave RHT Pepsi at 109 for 9.
Chan and Dey then calmly took their team home with their last-wicket partnership as the veteran Eon Abel (3 for 17) and Christian France 2 for 18 tried desperately to snatch an upset win for D’Edward.
First vice-president of the BCB, Anil Beharry, hailed the tournament as a great success and stated that it was used as a bridge between second division and first division. He praised the two finalists for providing a close and tense game for the crowd and urged them to maintain the high standard.
Public Relations Officer and Chairman of the Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, expressed gratitude to the management of Neal and Massy for the massive investment in Berbice Cricket.
He said the BCB was pleased to organise such a tournament of high standard and was able to discover new talents, while Regional Manager of the sponsor Wazir Ally expressed his delight at what he described as a brilliant and well organised tournament by the BCB.
Ally stated that Neal and Massy would continue to invest heavily in sports at all level as it understands its responsibility as a corporate citizen, before handing over the winner’s purse of $60 000 and the Neal and Massy trophy to RHT Pepsi, while D’Edward took home $30 000.
Delbert Hicks received $10 000 and a trophy after been named Man-of-the-Final, while other prizes were also given out.
Play was delayed by 90 minutes at the start of the day due to overnight rain, reducing the contest to a 40 overs-a-side. Asked to bat first after losing the toss, D’Edward were given a flying start of 31 in 4.3 overs by openers Romesh Boodram and Jagdeo Persaud before Boodram was dismissed by medium pacer Jason Sinclair for 19 (3×4).
Jagdeo was caught brilliantly by Devin Baldeo for 15 (3×4) off Dey to leave the visitors 35 for 2 in the 6th over, before seasoned middle order batsman Heeralall Bridgelall was removed by Sinclair for 3 at 38 for 3.
It took Derick Narine Jr (25) and Jaipaul Heeralall (20) to take D’Edward to 114 all out in 32 overs, with Lakraj Sukhra who batted at number 9, showing resistance with his 15 as Eon Hooper (4 for 27) and Sinclair who ended with 3 for 16, did the damage with the ball.
Needing to score 115 runs off 40 overs RHT Pepsi were given a solid start of 34 in 11 overs by former national Under-19 player Dominique Rikhi and Berbice Under-17 player Devin Baldeo before Rikhi ran himself out for 15 and Baldeo was caught off off-spinner Derick Narine Jr for 18 to leave Rose Hall Town Pepsi at 47 for 2.
Sinclair was caught behind by the highly impressive wicketkeeper Sukhra for 12 off Navindra Rampersaud, before former national player Delbert Hicks and his older brother Michael Hicks added 41 for the fourth wicket to take their team to 90 for 3 in the 25th over.
Michael Hicks was stumped off Romain Boodram for 8 and Hooper (2), Askay Homraj (2), Ravi Narine (3), Delbert Hicks 38 (2×6, 3×4) and Jamal Jarvis 0 were all dismissed to leave RHT Pepsi at 109 for 9.
Chan and Dey then calmly took their team home with their last-wicket partnership as the veteran Eon Abel (3 for 17) and Christian France 2 for 18 tried desperately to snatch an upset win for D’Edward.
First vice-president of the BCB, Anil Beharry, hailed the tournament as a great success and stated that it was used as a bridge between second division and first division. He praised the two finalists for providing a close and tense game for the crowd and urged them to maintain the high standard.
Public Relations Officer and Chairman of the Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, expressed gratitude to the management of Neal and Massy for the massive investment in Berbice Cricket.
He said the BCB was pleased to organise such a tournament of high standard and was able to discover new talents, while Regional Manager of the sponsor Wazir Ally expressed his delight at what he described as a brilliant and well organised tournament by the BCB.
Ally stated that Neal and Massy would continue to invest heavily in sports at all level as it understands its responsibility as a corporate citizen, before handing over the winner’s purse of $60 000 and the Neal and Massy trophy to RHT Pepsi, while D’Edward took home $30 000.
Delbert Hicks received $10 000 and a trophy after been named Man-of-the-Final, while other prizes were also given out.
