… Georgetown lose by 8 wickets

OPENER Renaldo Renee sparkled for defending champions West Demerara, who defeated their nemesis Georgetown by eight wickets in their weather-reduced Demerara Cricket Board Under-17 Inter-Association final round match at the Everest Cricket Club ground yesterday.

Scheduled to be contested at the Demerara Cricket Club ground but shifted due to a water-edged boundary line, massive seepage on the pitch forced a late start and reduction in overs from 50 to 20, following which West Demerara won the toss and asked Georgetown to bat first.
Ewart Samuels (2 for 9), vindicated Travis Persaud’s decision to insert the opposition when he removed Raymond Perez without scoring, off the second ball of the first over – a wicket that had a telling effect on the home team’s batting lineup.
Despite 23 from Jadell McAllister and 19 each from Shurfane Rutherford and Darshan Persaud – Rutherford hitting two fours and Darshan Persaud one – Georgetown were bowled out for 85 in 29 overs, with Travis Persaud, Malcolm Hubbard and Richie Luknauth each taking two wickets for 10, 15 and 18 runs respectively in support to Samuels.
When West Demerara batted, they lost Mark Jeffers (0) who was caught by Rutherford off Ronaldo Ali Mohammed (1 for 8), but Renee, who struck nine fours and a six, in his 59-ball 54, and his skipper Travis Persaud added 82 for the second wicket.
Perez (1 for 12) knocked back Persaud, his opposite number’s off stump for 31 (4×4) with victory four runs away. Renee sealed the win by hitting Samuel McKenzie back over long on for six to post his half-century and seal off the win for his team in the process.
At the presentation ceremony that followed, vice-president of the DCB, Anand Sanasie, applauded West Demerara for the win, while he congratulated the work being put in by DCC’s Garvin Nedd, under whom the nucleus of the West Demerara team was nurtured. Renee was named man-of-the-match.

(By Calvin Roberts)