Rose Hall Town Tigers clinch first ever title following 10-wicket victory

-Baldeo hits majestic century

THE Rose Hall Town Tigers defeated arch rivals, Chesney, by 10 wickets in the final of the Berbice Cricket Board Premium Asphalt and TR Construction 20/20 tournament. Founded in 2015 by several veteran members of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), the team had reached several semifinals and finals but failed to clinch a BCB title. The tournament had started in late 2019 but the Covid -19 virus had forced the board to suspend the final, which was to be played last year March. Rose Hall Town Tigers won the toss and elected to field. Chesney was given a flying start by openers Yogendra Gurdyal and former National player, Imran Khan. The aggressive pair added 85 for the first wicket in eight overs; Khan struck four boundaries and two sixes in his score of 43, but Gurdyal, in a brilliant display of power hitting, carried Chesney to an imposing 194 for two off their allotted 20 overs.He ended on 99 not out while J Latchana contributed 25 with a six and a boundary. Leroy Bristol took one wicket for 29 runs from four overs in an otherwise poor bowling display by the Tigers bowlers.

Needing to score 195 runs from 120 legal balls to clinch their first ever title, Rose Hall Town Tigers started like a house on fire as former national player, Delbert Hicks, struck medium pacer, Imran Khan, for three sixes in the first over, which costed 24 runs. The Chesney bowling attack never recovered and were taken apart by Hicks and his opening partner, Balchan Baldeo. Baldeo, a former national player, blasted eight massive sixes and 10 boundaries in a majestic 116 not out while Hicks also ended unbeaten on 77 not out in a record 201 unbeaten opening stand; a Berbice cricket second division 20/20 record for an opening pair. BCB president Hilbert Foster congratulated the Rose Hall Town Tigers on winning their first BCB title and urged them to use the championship win to achieve more success. He also urged the Chesney team to continue working hard as there is a lot of cricket tournaments coming up. Special thanks were extended to the management and staff of Premium Asphalt and TR Construction Ltd for their support. Foster expressed confidence that the relationship would continue in the future. Foster also urged the teams to invest their championship prizes in to obtaining cricket gear for themselves and to stop supporting the nearby rum shops. He sternly stated that clubs cannot expect the BCB to support them at all times if they do not invest in themselves.