DEMERARA Cricket Club (DCC) and Transport Cricket Club (TSC) both recorded innings victories over their respective opponents, while Steven Jacobs and Kwame Crosse scored important half centuries for Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) when the latest round of matches in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/Hadi’s Mall Incorporated two- day first division competition culminated yesterday.

In Queenstown, DCC humiliated the Police Sports Club (PSC) who were forced to bat with nine men in both innings, following a freak injury to Darson La Rose. DCC won  that contest by an innings and 125 runs, while TSC completed an innings and 48 runs victory over the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), at the MSC ground on Thomas Lands.
At Camp Road, Jacobs who made 77 and Crosse 72 combined to add a match saving third wicket partnership of 115 for MSC, who were forced to play for a draw against a rampant looking Everest Cricket Club (ECC), who had already taken first innings points on the first day.
Resuming their first innings on 27 for 2, in response to DCC’s 351 for 6 declared, of which Trevon Griffith scored 116, PSC who saw La Rose being struck over his right eye by a ball during the team’s warm up, was forced to close their innings off at 86 for 9, handing DCC a mammoth first innings lead of 265.
Reginald Rodrigues struck three fours in his topscore of 27 and received support from Jason Heyliger who struck two fours in his 21 for PSC, who found it difficult to withstand the bowling of Kevin George (4-16), Orlando Sturge 2 for 19 and Andre Stoll’s 2 for 33.
Batting a second time, PSC once again closed their innings at 140 for 9 which was scored off 36 overs, with Pernell London hitting an unbeaten 33 and Randolph Knights 31, with both batsmen hitting five fours.
Sturge (3 for 47), Stoll 2 for 7 and Griffith 2 for 13, were the bowlers responsible for handing their team the innings victory.
At Thomas Lands, GDF who resumed their first innings on 60 for 7 in reply to TSC’s 302 for 9 declared, with Paul Castillo on 30 and Roger Aaron yet to score, pushed their score to 110 before being bowled out, even though Castillo added a single to his overnight score.
Nakita Nestor who made 29 (4×6, 1×4) and Aaron 24 (3×4, 1×6) were the batsmen responsible for GDF passing the 100 run mark, when it appeared as if they would not do so, against the bowling of national Under-15 fast bowler Ewart Samuels who took 5 for 46, Keon Morris 3 for 24 and Kevin Ross 2 for 13.
Asked to bat again and being faced with a deficit of 192 runs, GDF fared better but still fell short of the required target needed to make TSC batting again, folding for 134.
Damion Ross 39 (3×4, 1×6) and skipper Marcus Watkins 24 with four fours were the lone responsible figures for the Army men, whose defence was breached by Shaun Massiah who took 3 for 11 with his military medium and Kevin Ross’ 2 for 43.
At the ECC ground, the home team who had bowled out MSC for 154 in their first innings and replied with 169 for 4 at the end of the day, stretched their lead to 89, thanks to Chandrapaul Hemraj’s 88 (11×4) after the discarded national opener had resumed the day on 62.
Raphael Singh scored 23, Troy Gonsalves 21 and Garfield De Rouche an unbeaten 19 in support to Hemraj, which went along with Amir Khan’s first day robust 19 which he made while opening the batting with Tagenarine Chanderpaul (08) and was decorated with four fours.
Shaquille Williams, who handed over the reigns of captaincy to Jacobs, took 4 for 55 and Jermaine Joseph supported him with 3 for 33 for MSC who in their second innings reached 181 for 5 when play was called off by the umpires.
Jacobs struck eight fours and one six in his innings, but it was Crosse’ 77 which was decorated with 10 fours, which not only stabilised MSC’s second innings, but also enabled them to force a draw after they were staring down the barrel of defeat.