Akshaya Persaud spurs Everest to 5-Wkt win over DCC

By Sean Devers

In steaming heat yesterday at the DCC ground, Everest, led by an outstanding all-round performance for National left-hander, Akshaya Persaud, beat the hosts by five runs in the opening round of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) T20 Cup first division tournament.

Everest batted first on the small ground and fast outfield and reached 150-4 in their allotted 20 overs.

Test batters, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Rajendra Chandrika, put together 71 in 9.3 overs before pacer Carlton Jacques removed them both in the space of one run.

Chanderpaul, the son of former West Indies batter, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, fell for 35 from 30 balls with five fours and a six while Chandrika scored 28 with four fours and a six.

Ushardeva Balgobin top-scored with 39 from 21 balls with four fours and two sixes while Persaud contributed an elegant unbeaten 31 from 32 balls with two fours and a six.

Jacques picked up 2-23 for DCC who reached 145-9 when their 20 overs expired to the disappointment of a fair-sized DCC support group.

The left-handed Sachin Singh, who hit a six and a four in his 12 was first to go when his stumps were scattered by national speedster, Clinton Pestano, at 16-1 in 1.5 overs.

Raymond Perez, who clobbered two fours and a couple of sixes departed at 52-2 before Jamal Hinckson was run out for a duck a run later.

Opener Tevin Imlach and Christopher Barnwell shared in a 50-run partnership before left-arm spinner Persaud removed Imlach for 45 from 36 balls with three fours and a six at 108-5
Persaud proceeded to wreck the middle and lower order to finish with 5-27; the first five-wicket haul in the tournament.

Despite Barnwell’s rear-guard unbeaten 38 from 42 balls with three fours and a six, DCC lost their last four wickets for 17 runs to be restricted to five runs short when the overs ran out with one wicket standing,

At DCC in the afternoon game, GCC beat Transport Sports Club (TSC) by seven wickets.

TSC were restricted to 130-7 in their 20 overs with national youth captain, Alvin Mohabir, making 34 with four fours and six but only Adrian Hinds and Riyad Latif with 22 each reached 20 while Stephon Sankar was unbeaten on 16.

Renaldo Ali-Mohammed had 2-10 and Thaddeus Lovell took 2-29 for GCC who reached 132-3 with 8.5 overs to spare.

Joshua Wade was asked to open the batting and was in a no-nonsense mood; blasting four fours and eight sixes in a pugnacious 73 from just 30 balls as he set DCC on fire.

West Indies youth batter Mavendra Dindyal, who struggled for consistency in the Regional U-19 tournament in St Vincent, returned to some form with an attractive 43 from 24 balls with nine boundaries to lead the ‘Bourda Boys’ to victory.

At Malteenoes, Bel Air Rubis beat the home team by five wickets after racing to 117-5 in 16 overs in reply to Malteenoes’ 116 all out as Mahendra Jeenarine had 3-8 and Travis Persaud 3-15.
Persaud returned with the bat to hit an undefeated 30 while left-arm spinner Trevon France took 2-28 for Malteenoes.