GISE, Star Party Rentals & Trophy Stall 2-day 1st div cricket…

By Sean Devers
A PUGNACIOUS century from Chris Barnwell, and destructive spells of bowling from Ashmead Nedd led DCC to an innings & 193 runs victory over Everest at the small DCC ground, in Queenstown, over the weekend in the GCA’s GISE, Star Party Rentals & Trophy Stall Two-day First Division cricket tournament.

The 36-year-old Barnwell, who has the most centuries in GCA’s Frist Division cricket, and two tons and 12 fifties from 61 First-Class matches, scored 114 from just 61 balls, and decorated with three fours and 13 sixes and shared in a 112-run stand with Nkosie Beaton, who hit five fours and two sixes in a quick-fire 45, before Nityanand Mathura removed the dangerous Barnwell at 282-5, after he had deposited the bowler for consecutive sixes.

Barnwell, who played six T20Is between 2011 to 2013, also got support from Dexter George (47), Raymond Perez (38), Ricardo Percival (34), Brandon Jaikaran (33), and Shamar Yearwood (26), who all got starts as DCC declared on 381-9.

Mathura had 5-126, and got support from Travis Mohammed (2-92), and Niron Bissu, (2-46).

Everest were bowled out for 80 in their first innings, as only Anthony Sanichara (22), Bissu (12), and Chanderpaul Hemraj (11) reached double figures, as the batters were befuddled by 22 year-old left-arm spinner Nedd, who captured a career best 8-33, as 19 wickets fell on Day One.

Everest, in their second innings, were dismissed for 108, despite an aggressive 64 with nine fours and three sixes from 44 balls from Ushardeva Balgobin, as Nedd had 8-38, his second eight-wicket haul of the game, while Ricardo Percival supported, 2-20, as the match ended at 15:37hrs after the entire first session was not due to wet pitch.

Yesterday, Everest were asked to follow-on, needing 301 to avoid an innings defeat, and the Camp Road side were aided by overnight rain, which left water on the covers. Seepage on to the pitch during the removal of the covers, delayed play for the pre-lunch session.

When play eventually commenced in hazy sunshine, 13:40 hrs after a false start at 13:10 hrs, when the rain returned just as batters were walking to the middle.

On an outfield not too affected by adverse weather, Everest had a horrendous start, slumping to 15-4, as Nedd picked up from where he left off in the first innings, removing Denesh Mangal (2) at 8-1, and Joseph Perry (0), two balls later, as two wickets fell with the score on eight.

It was soon 15-4 as Nedd sliced through Everest’s batting order like a knife cutting butter in hot sun, removing Sanichara (10), and Chandrapaul Hemraj for a duck in the space of a run to leave Everest on 15-4, before Balgobin and Bissu took the score to 49, with Balgobin counter-attacking the bowlers with confident batting with the sun now back out.

Nedd captured his second five-wicket haul of the game, by getting rid of Bissu (4), at 59-5, but Balgobin kept going, clobbering Nedd for a six over long-on, before pulling him for another six, when he bowled short, and reached his 50 from 37 balls with nine fours and a six.

As conditions became a bit more overcast, and with the score on 80, Mathura (6), was bowled by Ricardo Percival, the son of former Guyana left-hander Andre Percival, to the delight of the raucous DCC supporters.

At Tea, Everest were 93-6, with Balgobin on 63, and Travis Mohammed on 4, and DCC looking for four wickets in the final session. Just after the break, Nedd trapped Balgobin lbw on 93-7, while the 100 came up in the 24th over, before Percival sent back Mangal (7) at 100-8.

Travis Mohammed (4), was bowled by Nedd without addition to the score, while Feyaad Lekhraj hit Nedd for consecutive boundaries, before he was stumped off Nedd, who ended match figures of 8-71.