NATIONAL middle order batsman Steven Jacobs led from the front, so too did his national teammate Robin Bacchus, as both Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) and Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) record final day victories in their Georgetown Cricket Association/Hadi’s Mall Inc. two day first division matches yesterday.At the MSC ground on Thomas Lands, the home team came from behind against Police Sports Club (PSC), to record a comfortable four wicket victory despite being complacent with victory in sight, whilst GCC maintained their stranglehold on Transport Sports Club (TSC) to win by nine wickets.
Batting first on Saturday’s opening day, PSC scored 187, thanks to Pernell London’s unbeaten 76 and Jason Heyliger 25, even as Steven Sankar took 5 for 62, Jacobs 2 for 17 and Kellon Carmichael 2 for 36 for MSC, who in reply were bowled out for 155.
Carmichael topscored with 67 and Vishal Narayan 20, as Kelvin Leitch (4 for 13), Seon Daniels (3 for 54) and Ricardo Adams who took 2 for 11, but left his side in limbo in their second innings after he failed to show up, which meant they were reduced to 112 for 9, batting a second time despite their first innings lead of 32.
Rawle Browne curbed his natural aggression to topscore with 61 that was decorated with nine fours and one six, but with the absence of Adams and the Lawmen inability to handle the spin of Sankar who took 4 for 35 (match figures 9 for 97) and Jacobs 4 for 30, MSC only had 145 to win the contest outright.
With Jacobs beginning to find form with the bat after being overlooked in the Professional Cricket League draft early last week, MSC reached 145 for 4 off 24 overs.
The dreadlocked Jacobs led from the front with his 82 (11×4, 2×6), while Carmichael with whom he added 63 for the third wicket following the demise of Shemroy Barrington (09) and Nichosie Barker (12), offered support with 24, before they were both dismissed with victory a mere nine runs away, as London, Daniels, Jason Heyliger and Darson Larose took a wicket each for PSC.
At Bourda, TSC who trailed their opponents by 133 on first innings, commenced the day on 130 for 3 with Sunil Singh on 31 and were bowled out for 268 just before lunch, with Singh hitting an unbeaten 83 that was decorated with six fours.
Shemroy Kendall supported Singh with 29 (2×4), even as Azim Azeez chipped in with 16 (3×4) for TSC, with Raj Nannan 5 for 95 (9 for 104) and Joshua Wade 2 for 40 leading the bowling for GCC, who were set 131 to win and reached that target off 24 overs, with Bacchus hitting an unbeaten 61 (6×4).
He added 102 for the first wicket with Martin Pestano-Belle who made 40 (4×4) before he was caught at midwicket off Azeez (1 for 25), enabling Bacchus and Winston Forrester to complete the nine wicket win, with Forrester unbeaten on 21 (3×4).
At Camp Road, host Everest Cricket Club and their guest Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) played to a dull draw, with Everest batting first and posting 330 for 3 declared, led by Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 152, Joseph Perry 113 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 25 (4×4).
In their turn at the wicket, GNIC were bowled out for 191, with Shaun DeSouza hitting 12 fours and one six in the topscore of 87 and Dexter Solomon five fours in his 42, while Zaheer Mohammed took 5 for 42 and Chandrapaul Hemraj 2 for 37.
Even though they had a handsome lead, Everest declined to enforce the follow-on, opting to take batting practice to which they reached 56 for 1 when stumps were pulled, with the younger Chanderpaul unbeaten on 41 (7×4), adding 43 for the second wicket with Denesh Mangal who was unbeaten on 10, following the early demise of Hemraj for 4 at 13 for 1.

(By Calvin Roberts)