Demerara wins inaugural Inter-County title

DEMERARA remained unbeaten when they defeated Berbice by 71 runs at Everest yesterday in the Final of the inaugural Hand-in-Hand Insurance Big Man Cricket 30-over over-40 cricket tournament.

Led by a Man-of-the-Match performance from Raja Pooran who clobbered 48 from just 14 balls with five sixes and two fours, 40 from former West Indies Test batter, Ryan Ramdass, 26 from former West Indies U-19 and present West Indies over 40 player Hemraj Garbarran and 21 from Shazam Ramgobin, Demerara reached 179-8 in a match reduced to 25 overs due to overnight and morning showers.

Imran Khan had 4-34 while West Indies over-40 off-spinner, Devon Clements, had 2-28.

Berbice were bowled out for 108 in 18.3 despite 33 from Khemraj Sumir and 30 from Khan as leg-spinner Lookeshwar Mohabir captured 4-26 while West Indies over-40 off-spinner, Randy Lindore, Pooran and Ramjohn supported with two wickets each.

Put in to bat on a lush green outfield and a track with some preparation moisture, Troy Benn (5) was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Mark Sampson at 11-1.

Ramdass, who stroked a classy 120 against Essequibo in Essequibo, was joined by Garbarran and together they featured in a 51-run second wicket partnership before Ramdass who played his only Test in Sri Lanka in 2005, was removed by Khan at 62-2.

Ramdass’ demise triggered a mini collapse as Khan, one of three batters with centuries in this tournament, picked three wickets when he removed Garbarran, Ramjohn and Andrew Lyght (5) as the home team slipped to 113-5.

When Clements bowled Dinesh Thakur (11) Demerara were in danger not reaching a defendable total but Pooran, clobbered Shabeer Baksh for four sixes and two fours in his second over in an explosive 14-48 before he fell to Clements.

Playing at one of four grounds in the city that hosted First-Class Cricket, Berbice started badly when Marlon Brustus got a perfect off-break from Lindore, which bowled him for a duck at 6-1.
Clements was bowled by Lindore at 30-2 before Ramjohn got rid of the dangerous Khan at 49-3.

Sumir offered a brief threat with a pair of glorious back-to-back boundaries off Pooran before he was removed by Ramjohn after hitting six fours to leave Berbice on 84-4.
Mohabir and Pooran sliced through the remaining batters like a hot knife cutting butter as the last six wickets tumbled for 10 runs.