THE Eco Champs developmental team played two national female cricketers in their line-up on Saturday and they held their own by handing the dominant Georgetown Cricket Club their first draw in the Friends of Cricket U-17 100-overs cricket tournament.

GCC, who are the favourites to win the Georgetown Cricket Association-organised competition, were frustrated as Kaysia Schultz battled through 12 overs to keep the home team from winning their fifth consecutive game.

The other female in the side was Cherry-Ann Fraser.

Although she did not score, Schultz was solid in defence at Bourda. The right-hander played her role well as she and Sameer Housain (who spent over half of the 45 overs in the middle for11 runs) frustrated the GCC bowlers. At times, the batters played scoring-shots but decided to stay in their crease.

GCC did dominate the game and had accumulated enough points from the draw to breathe down the neck of MYO who are leading the points standing.  MYO has, however, completed their quota of seven games, while GCC still has a few to play.

DINDYAL’S CENTURY

West Indies U-16 batsman, Mavendra Dindyal, led the home team’s attack when they batted first.  The opener carved out 116 runs with a plethora of doubles to go along with seven fours and a six.

None of the other home team batsmen reached 20, but Dindyal’s knock was enough to propel GCC to 228-8 before the 55 overs expired (the batting team can bat up to 55 overs, which will restrict their opponents to 45 overs, if they are bowled out before 55 overs, the bowling team will get a crack at that amount).

Skipper Mitra Dhanraj and vice-captain Bryion Bowen led the visitors’ bowling attack with two wickets each.

Schultz, who opened the bowling, finished with figures of five overs for 24 runs, while Fraser bowled her five overs for 16 runs.

In the middle, however, Eco Champs had no answers for the home team’s bowling attack, led by 15-year-old right-arm medium pacer Yohance Angoy, who took four wickets for 16 runs from five overs.

Andrews supported with 2-7 from nine overs.

Mohammed Jameer top scored with 14 (1×4) to lead the visitors who ended on 73-8 after 45 overs.