… beat UG by 162 runs, to clash with GCC in final  

A COMPLETE all-round performance from hosts, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), propelled them to the final of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)-sponsored New Building Society (NBS) 40-over tournament, after they completed a 162-run win over the University of Guyana (UG) yesterday.

The tone for the victory was set from the start, after the hosts were asked to bat first. Their top order made batting look easy with opener Sachin Singh (67), Alphuis Bookie (53) and Raymond Perez, (55*), as they piled up 283-6.

Singh and Steven Sankar added 74 for the first-wicket, a partnership which was dominated by the left-handed Singh.

However, as the stand was looking ominous, left-arm spinner Damion Vantull bowled Sankar, who hit four boundaries in his 27.  Singh and Bookie then came together and piled on the runs and took complete control over proceedings.

Singh, the West Indies youth player reached his 50 off 52 balls, but Dennis Heywood provided the breakthrough with the wicket of Singh, who ,during his stay at the crease, struck seven fours and four sixes.

Bookie and Perez then took the score to 186 before Bookie was dismissed off the bowling of Nicholas Bollers (3-57). He struck six fours and a six in his knock. DCC then suffered a mini-collapse, losing three quick wickets. However, those dismissals did not prevent Perez and Xaviee Smith from progressing at the backend of the innings. Perez hit five sixes in his innings, while Smith hit a four and two sixes.  

The UG batsmen then struggled in the run chase with only Ershad Ali (49) and Linden Austin (19) showing some resistance.

The batsmen failed to handle DCC’s wily spinners, with West Indies Under-19 left-arm spinner, Ashmead Nedd (5-31), simple unplayable. Off-spinner Dennis Squires, who claimed 3-17, started the demolition, with the first three wickets.

Inability to read the spinners led to UG batsmen being defensive, which pushed the run-rate up and eventually ended their hopes of a recovery. Leg-spinner Sankar and Smith were the two other successful bowlers for DCC who will now meet powerhouse GCC in the final.