UPPER Corentyne defeated Georgetown in the playoff match on Thursday to book their place in the final against Lower Corentyne/New Amsterdam/Canje as the Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) Local Franchise League (LFL) continued.Playing at Port Mourant ground, the home team won the toss and made a brave decision to bowl first against a Georgetown team, strengthened with the inclusion of Guyana Jaguars captain Leon Johnson and all-rounder team mate, Christopher Barnwell.
Upper Corentyne claimed their first wicket with the score on 10, when Andrew Lyght Jr was caught by Joshua Ramsammy for 6 off medium pacer Assad Fudadin.
Jeetendra Sookdeo and Shemroy Barrington then shared a third-wicket partnership of 42, before Sookdeo was caught behind by Anthony Bramble off the bowling of Fudadin.
Captain Leon Johnson followed caught by Jonathon Foo off Sharaz Ramcharran.
Christopher Barnwell, who joined Shemroy Barrington, gave some hope of revival early on when he clobbered a boundary just after arriving at the crease.
However, such hope was shortlived as Shawn Pereira had him caught and bowled with the score on 67 for 4. Shemroy Barrington was soon after run-out for 26, with the score on 73 for 5.
With both Leon Johnson and Christopher Barnwell back in the pavilion for such a meagre score, youth player Shurfane Rutherford had the enormous task of rebuilding. He took up such responsibility in a very mature manner, coupling aggression with temperance to register a half-century and simultaneously give his team an outside but fighting chance, as Georgetown ended their innings on 142 all out off 43.2 overs.
Bowling for Upper Corentyne, Eon Hooper grabbed 3 for 20, Jonathon Foo 2 for 24 and Assad Fudadin, with his useful medium pace, 2 for 37.
In reply, Upper Corentyne were in an early spot of bother when Andre Stoll had Sharaz Ramcharran adjudged lbw for 11 with the score on 14. Lloydell Lewis then followed for 9, caught behind by Kemol Savory off Kellon Carmichael, to make the score 50 for 2.
Jason Sinclair, who took the fight to Georgetown, was bowled by Devon Lord for 29, giving Georgetown a glimmer of hope.
But in this case, hope turned into despair, as Assad Fudadin 38 and Jonathon Foo 40, guided Upper Corentyne to a well-deserved victory, finishing on 145 for 3 from 27.2 overs and winning the playoff match (between the second and third teams from the preliminary stage) by 7 wickets.
Upper Corentyne will now meet Lower Corentyne/New Amsterdam Canje for Inaugural Local Franchise League Championship honours at Albion Community Centre from 14:00hrs today in a day/night affair.