CAPTAIN Devon Lord and Deonarine Seegobin combined for eight wickets to lead home team, the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) to a 33-run victory against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to re-start cricket in the Capital City. In their NBS Second-Division 40-over encounter on Saturday, GCC won the toss and opted to take first strike. The army players had the unbeaten side in trouble with the top order falling cheaply. Openers Winston Forrester (09) and Seegobin lost their wickets via the off-spin of GDF’s captain, Leon Andrews, while Keith Simpson befuddled the middle–order with his left-arm spin. Simpson, who was disciplined in his line and length, led the attack with 3-14 from seven overs.

Support came from Colvis Sam, who picked up two wickets at the end. Had it not been for an eight-wicket stand between Bernard Bailey (28) and Carlos LaRose (23), GCC would not have made it to the three-digit mark. In the end, they were routed for 128 in 34.1 overs. Former national youth player, Junior Sinclair, playing in his first game for GDF, gave the visitors a solid start. Following the loss of Andrews for three, he and Martin Singh continued to push the score and the side was cruising at 71-2 before the wickets began to tumble. Only Sinclair with 36 (2X4s, 2X6s) and Singh with 24 (2X4s) reached double figures as Lord, with his left-arm spin, and Seegobin, with his medium pace, unravelled the visitor’s batting. By the 32nd over, the match was over with GDF bowled out for 95. LaRose and Stephon Wilson supported with one wicket each.