… To face New York Tri State in tomorrow’s final

DEMERARA Cricket Club (DCC) off-spinner Ezekiel Wilson completed a nine-wicket match-haul yesterday, as the hosts thumped Transport Sports Club (TSC) by six wickets to advance to tomorrow’s final of the GCA/American Youth Premier Cricket League Under-19 cricket competition.

The Queenstown-based club have played unbeaten so far and will meet New York Tri State, who were the other winning semi-finalists, having beaten Malteenoes by six wickets.
The 15-year-old Wilson proved the unlikely bowling hero. The off-spinner destroyed his opponents with 9-19 off just 8.5 overs, as TSC were bundled out for 58 in 15.5 overs.

Deciding to bat first, the visiting team slid to an ignominious defeat in bright sunshine, as Wilson made the most of the pitch which offered some spin. He also benefited from some poor shot selections with only Adrian Hinds and Devon Allen managing double digits with 13 runs apiece

The home team started with a pace/spin attack. Wilson maintained the pressure at one end, picking up wickets at regular intervals while Jafar Pinder was the other successful bowler.

The hosts then reached 60-4 in 22.2 overs, losing both openers, Wilson (3) and Brandon Jaikarran (0), along with Orlando Giddings (10) and Nkosi Beaton (0), in the run chase. All four batsmen were dismissed off the bowling of Joel Spooner, who finished the innings with 4-22.

However, the run chase was indebted to Alphuis Bookie, who struck three fours and a six in an unbeaten 29. Jaden Campbell was the other not-out batsman on four.

Meanwhile, at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, the match was reduced to 45 overs due to overnight rain. The tourists’ seamers bowled beautifully upfront and then stifled their opponents with clever use of spinners in the middle overs.

With boundaries hard to come by, the home team should have rotated the strike more often. Failure to do so meant the Tri State bowlers had more time to clamp down, never letting MSC batsmen off the hook as they were bowled out for 133 in 41.5 overs.

It was a total bowling effort from the visiting team with medium pacer Vedant Parwal (5-24) and leg-spinner Gautham Ravindran (4-34) doing most of the damage. Andre Seepersaud was the other successful bowler

Jeremiah Scott hit the top score of 40 with four boundaries, and Shamar Yearwood made 27 in a third-wicket stand of 69 that gave the innings some backbone. After MSC elected to bat, Elian Whyte contributed an unbeaten 26 towards the end.

The visiting side started the run chase on a worrying note, losing opener Ishaan Bansal without scoring, to Tathesh Shivrattan, at 3-1 but recovered to reach 136-4 in 41.3 overs.

However, fellow opener Saiteja Mukkamalla struck a composed 60 with four boundaries and Sanjay Stanley made 43. The right-handed pair then consolidated, and shared in a 100-run second-wicket stand which eventually took them close to the victory target.

Both batsmen mixed patience with attacking stroke play before Stanley was dismissed off spinner Akeem Critchlow.

Mukkamalla then went off the bowling of Wayne Bollers while Isaiah Jagernauth (1), was dismissed by Critchlow but Chaitanya Parwal (16 not out), and Seepersaud (5 not out), saw their team home.