THEY CAME from all walks of life to catch a glimpse of the action last Saturday night, when the Dexter ‘Bushman’ Garnett-organised ‘Cricket for Unity’ T20 clash between Roraima Strikers and Kaieteur Thunders finally got under way at the Lance Gibbs Street-based Demerara Cricket Club ground.

Cricket-lovers filled the venue’s lone pavilion, leaving minimum walking space even for the players, while some lined the outer perimeter of the ground to witness the action that saw Kaieteur Thunders edge the Roraima Strikers by four runs in an enthralling encounter.
The sight of Orin Forde, Alfred Mentore and Lennox Cush rolling back the years to thump boundaries to all parts of the ground, Reon King and Colin Stuart sharing a new ball and Charles Ramson Jr taking a Michael Holding-like lengthy run-up was indeed worthy enough to underline the camaraderie displayed between both sides.
While the game was keenly contested, with Guyana Cricket Board Chairman of Selectors Rayon Griffith blasting a half-century and Cush claiming four quick wickets, there was no doubt that the theme used for the contest was certainly a good one.
Batting first on a track which saw Kevon Boodie of Essequibo blast a record-breaking double ton earlier in the day, Kaieteur Thunders who seemed destined for a 200-plus total posted 178-5 off their 20 overs, while Roraima Strikers responded with 174-9 at the end of their 20 overs.
Kaieteur Thunders, sporting pink uniforms sponsored by Tiger Sports of Enmore, suffered a horrible start losing the burly Anthony Rigby (0) who was run-out by a direct hit from Griffith, off the third ball of the first over bowled by APNU Parliamentarian James Bond.
Former national wicketkeeper/batsman Sheik Mohamed and Orin Forde entertained the crowd with a stroke-filled partnership of 86 in nine overs to put Kaieteur Thunders on course for a huge total.
The right-handed Forde was particularly severe on the bowlers, hitting eight fours and a six in his 44 from 27 balls before he was brilliantly stumped by wicketkeeper Rabindranauth Seeram at 88-2, giving the charge to legendary off-spinner Clyde Butts in his first over.
Two balls later, Butts struck again, removing the left-handed Mohamed, caught by Ramson Jr at mid-wicket at 90-3, after scoring a brisk 25 off 26 balls with four fours, with Ramson Jr. doing an Undertaker-like celebration to the Thunders’ dressing room, much to the delight of the spectators on hand, which included U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt.
With two new batsmen at the crease and the momentum with Roraima Strikers, Esaun Crandon drove home the advantage dismissing Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin (5) who was well caught by Jermaine Neblett on the long-on boundary at 99-4 in the 13th over.
Mentore 31 (22 balls, 2x4s, 2x6s) and David Harper 16 (15 balls, 1×4, 1×6) rolled back the years, adding a quick-fire 55 in five overs to revive Kaieteur Thunders innings, before Cush pulled off some lusty blows in the death overs, posting 17 from 5 balls with two sixes and a four.
Bowling for Roraima Strikers, Butts picked up 2 for 4 from two overs, while there was one wicket each for Bond, Ramson Jr. and Crandon, who started his team’s response with Wartsila’s Chief Financial Officer Aaron Fraser
They added 39 for the first wicket, braving the new ball attack from King and Stuart, before Cush in the fifth over removed Fraser for five and with a double strike in the seventh over to give Kaieteur Thunders the upper hand.
Cush first had Crandon (23 runs, 25 balls, 1×4, 2x6s) caught by King on the mid-wicket boundary, before Seeram was brilliantly caught at the wicket by an agile Mohamed for five at 45-3.
Ramson hit a six and a four in 13, but he soon became the fourth casualty, caught by Cush on the long-off boundary off the bowling of businessman Tony Najab at 68-4 at the halfway stage.
Former national Under-19 captain Andre Percival and Griffith fought fire with fire with a pugnacious 61-run fifth-wicket partnership in just 4.2 overs to bring Roraima Strikers back in the game.
When Percival was bowled by Cush for 24 (19 balls, 1×4, 1×6) at 129-5, 50 runs were needed from 30 deliveries and with Griffith timing the ball sweetly, Roraima Strikers were in a prime position to lift the ‘Unity trophy’.
Griffith brought up his fifty off 23 balls, and eventually retired in the penultimate over for 57 (29 balls, 8x4s, 2x6s), but not before Kaieteur Thunders had expressed some level of dissatisfaction with his move to bat on, even after scoring a half-century.
Before he eventually retired out, Roraima Strikers lost Butts for five and Garnett who entertained the crowd with his agility between the wickets before retiring for five, left Bond and Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steve Ninvalle, to score 11 off the final over.
However, Datadin only conceded six of those runs to hand Kaieteur Thunders the victory, while Cush who finished with 4 for 8 copped the Best Bowler trophy and Griffith the Best Batsman, while members of both sides were presented with Cricket for Unity medallions, before Kaieteur Thunders lifted the ‘Unity trophy’ from Hunt.

Captions

Living the theme of the contest! Chronicle Sport photographer Adrian Narine was on hand last Saturday to witness and capture for our readers’ pleasure. From left, Tony Najab, Charles Ramson Jr., James Bond (backing camera) Khemraj Ramjattan and Rabindranauth Seeram share a light moment during the ‘Cricket for Unity’ T20 clash.
Kaieteur Thunders and former national off-spinning all-rounder Lennox Cush hits another ‘Cricket for Unity’ maximum for his side, during his breezy innings last Saturday night. (Photos by Adrian Narine)

Together we aspire, Together we achieve. Members of both Kaieteur Thunders (pink) and Roraima Strikers pose with U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Bryan Hunt (blue top), after their enthralling ‘Cricket for Unity’ clash last Saturday night.

(By Calvin Roberts)